


Sleep

by EspadaIV



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: ALL THE ANGST, All Rey Wants To Do Is Be A Stupid Teenager, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Death From Terminal Illness, Dry Humping, F/M, FFI, Fluff, Haha He's gonna need more than that, Heavy Angst, Horny Teenagers, Hurt No Comfort, I threw canon out the window, Magical Character Jar, Making Out, Medical stuff, Rey Needs A Hug, Romance, Semi-Slow Burn, The Author Regrets Nothing, Thirst Order, WE ARE IGNORING CANON... ALL OF IT, Why Did I Write This?, acquaintances to friends to relationship, all the feels, all the tears, author is sorry, no canon here, reylo trash, virgins, why do i do this?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-04-22 15:03:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 65,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14311296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EspadaIV/pseuds/EspadaIV
Summary: Rey goes to a tiny town to get away from what's chasing her. She didn't expect to be involved in these people's lives. There was nothing spectacular about her but to her dismay, one boy is put into positions to notice her and she doesn't like it at all.Can Ben Solo handle Rey's past? Can he handle the impending downward spiral that Rey is going to go through?HAS COVER ART





	1. Prologue: It All Begins Somewhere

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. This story is based on characters/creatures created and owned by Lucas Arts/Disney. No money is being made, and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. IN SHORT, I don't own, don't sue. This story is just a made up, fictional, crazy slice of my imagination.
> 
> How did I get such characters in such places? Well, we have the magical character jar. I put characters in, shake it up, and pull them out. Boom! Thus why things are jumbled up. Please feel free to comment or leave a review, rec (fics, mangas, anime, music, movies, books, plot bunnies). I reply to comments! Also, let's talk about anything! Kudos are awesome too. Thank you for reading!
> 
> I love talking to people! Send words:  
> http://espada-iv.tumblr.com/
> 
> Shoutout to GlitterBug for making the image.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I told AlbaStarGazer about this plot bunny I had... Obviously, it's had because I started writing it after I lamely fangirled all over her. This fic is all her fault because she fed it! LOL jk, Much love to you Alba! 
> 
> For those who are wondering, yes, I am going to finish Love... Eventually. It's finished and now it needs to get betaed because it's a bunch of nonsense. I've got someone working on it now. I might update it once a week. This fic is designed to break your hearts, just a FYI.

 

It was the typical coastal town, small and quaint. Busy during the summer but the rest of the year was pretty much dead. Not that the townsfolk minded, nothing really extraordinary happened.

 

Carrington was home to less than two thousand people. There were two doctors, one dentist, three cops and one school. The grocery was run by old man Caluan Ematt, whose hair over the years had lost its sandy brown color and faded to white. His daughter Allie worked in the drug store, which he also owned, as a pharmacist. Doctor Kalonia was the town’s only optometrist, and Lor Tekka worked at the only gas station as owner and mechanic.

 

There were no fast food establishments in the entire town unless you counted Nien’s, a third generation restaurant that could put a hot plate of food in front of a customer in less than seven minutes. Workers from the small power plant, fishers, and other hard-working people came to Nien’s for their lunches early in the morning. He handed out these packaged meals, which Nien and his two grown sons had put together in the wee hours in the morning, for four dollars each. Nien’s was the best place for comfort food.

 

His competition was an Italian bistro, which had excellent coffee, pastries, and chocolate. I’m sure that Nien couldn’t help but forget the steakhouse; they were expensive, but Ackbar knew how to make a steak. Oh, then there was Bollie’s, the local fish fry place down by the docks. Fishers brought their daily catch there.

 

Carrington was the type of town where everyone knew everyone and their business. The kids always vowed to leave, and some did, some came back, and there were the ones that never went anywhere. I’d been one of the ones to leave for college and come back.

 

I apologize; I’ve not introduced myself. I am Leia Organa, one of the teachers at Carrington’s school. I teach high school English. I like my job, but I’ve been in the business of education for a long time, almost eighteen years.

 

We didn’t have any problems with drugs or crime. Sometimes we had fender benders, or someone knocked someone else’s taillight out, traffic tickets, and the kids always cruised around in their cars in the summer with their music up too loud. Occasionally, we had the cops at Cookie Tuggs’ place that sat at the edge of town. It was part of the informal trailer park. He’d hit his wife; she’d start screaming and call the police. Usually, the cops would come and cart Cookie to the station to sleep it off.

 

The reason I’m telling you about the place that has been my home practically my entire life is that often stories like ours are overlooked. We witnessed a tragedy and not once did the local news pick up the story. It was sad. No one knew our pain.

 

Rey Andor, the new girl in town, died and left this gaping hole in our lives. She left a gaping hole in my son's life.

 

I guess I should tell the whole story, shouldn’t I?


	2. Don't Want To Be Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Jyn and Cassian are Rey's parents. WE ARE IGNORING CANON. IGNORING EVERYTHING. THROW SHIT OUT THE WINDOW!

The car ride through the woods was long and tiresome. The hills didn’t make it any better either as the SUV wound through them. The vehicle contained a man and a woman, a teenage girl and two huge dogs. Behind it, a trailer attached to the bumper quietly followed along.

 

Not that it had been an exciting trip, the family in the car had a chance to have a vacation and see the country. The tropic climate of the west coast had faded to the desert, which then turned into the cornfields and cows of the Midwest. Slowly, the rolling hills had turned into mountains, and now they were once again dipping into valleys.

 

It would have been great… had the girl in the back had some entertainment. Her cell phone, portable DVD player and the game system really didn’t hold her interest for long. She sighed and automatically the woman who sat in the front passenger seat, turned. “Are you feeling alright, Rey?”

 

The girl looked up as she was addressed. She thought nothing was striking about her, but Rey Andor was wrong. She didn’t think the straight locks that framed her face were remarkable or the caramel color that made her stand out. She was a real brunette, taking after her mother’s side of the family with hair the color of toffee mixed with milk chocolate. Her round face was healthy looking and sunkissed. She had precisely fourteen freckles scattered across her cheeks and nose.

 

She would have looked like a porcelain doll, but her brown eyes didn’t mimic the wide-eyed innocent look. The entirely too small set was cynical and when she squinted or glared at someone they all but disappeared. Her mouth was bow-shaped, turned into a straight line most of the time, if not frowning.

 

Petite in size, Rey was small, and she seemed frail as if she was going to break. Her delicate hands were petting a massive dog’s head in her lap. She glanced down at the animal and finally answered.

 

“We’ve been on the road since seven this morning,” she said. “I just thought we’d be there by now.”

 

“A cross-country move takes several days, Rey,” her father replied as he flipped the turn signal. He turned to the left onto another densely wooded road.

 

“There are these wonderful things called airplanes. We could have flown,” the girl muttered.

 

This time her mother sighed and Rey could see her medium brown hair, speckled with white hairs shake slightly. “What would you have done with Chewie and Porg?”

 

The creature automatically lifted its head and thumped its tail against the leather of the seat and from the cargo area there was a quiet snort. Rey looked down at the dog and thought about her mother’s question.

 

Chewie was an Alaskan malamute. He had been the runt of the litter, but you couldn’t tell that now, he took up most of the back seat. He’d been so tiny that Rey often carried him around in the pocket of her hoodies. She loved him because she always wanted a dog despite her parent’s objections. He had been a birthday gift from her Aunt Jill several years ago.

 

Porg was an Irish wolfhound. He was Rey’s inheritance from her Grandmother Andor who had died a year after she had received Chewie. The entire family had flown in a massive airplane to England and then spent a good part of two hours in a car. The lane leading from the road to the great stone house was bumpy and gave Rey a headache.

 

Rey didn’t really know her father’s mother well, but she wrote letters with photographs and details of her life to the woman every three months, only to receive fancy cards on her birthday and Christmas Day. Grandma Andor never visited Rey while she had been alive but had left a letter to the girl. She had lived in England her entire life and never really left unless it was a trip to Paris.

 

In the letter, it explained the old woman had always thought Rey was a joy to have in her life, so that’s why she had left Rey, her dog. Along with the dog, she had gotten some money and little trinkets. Grandma Andor had left the house and the land to her father, which he promptly sold. Rey had figured there was some bad blood between him that he wouldn’t want to keep his childhood home.

 

It was quite a bit of hassle to get Porg out of England. There were papers and shots; by the end of it, Rey really didn’t think it was worth the effort. He had been three years old then and didn’t tolerate the puppy very well. There were constant fights between the two dogs, and her parents were continually urging Rey to place one of the dogs in the care of another family.

 

She couldn’t decide between them though, and three years later, Chewie and Porg were practically inseparable. Rey shook her head, “You know I couldn’t do without them.”

 

“Well Rey, that is why we’re driving,” her father smiled at her in the rearview mirror. “Oh, look!”

 

Everyone in the car quickly turned their attention to where he was pointing. It was a large sign that boldly stated, “Welcome to Carrington!” The road that they were on sloped down to the village, Rey looked straight ahead of her and scowled. It had been her idea when they had come back from the doctors.

 

_“Let’s move to a small city,” she said in a quiet voice. “I’m tired of L.A..”_

 

“Rey _, I know you’re upset but—“_

 

_She had automatically glared at her mother. “I want to move to someplace and away from all this.”_

 

_Her father spoke this time. “Rey, some of the best doctors in the world are here in L.A. You’ll get the best care.”_

 

“ _What can they possibly do for me? I’ve been told that I’m going to—“_

 

Rey was snapped out of her thoughts when her father came to a stop at the only red light in town. From here, she could see all the way to the bay where the docks were. Everyone who was out and about was looking at the vehicle in curiosity, which made Rey cringe visibly. If there was one thing that she hated, it was unwanted attention. More people seemed to stare out their windows, as the SUV turned right once the light turned green.

 

She saw many more people as they approached a big building. It must have been the school because there were a lot of teenagers standing in front of cars, throwing a basketball around. Rey glanced at the watched on her wrist, which told her it was close to two-thirty in the afternoon. School actually got out this early? She wondered.

 

“Just imagine it, Rey,” her father said. “Three months off in the summer!”

 

Rey raised an eyebrow. No school for three months? Did her parents know how much knowledge kids lost when they didn’t attend school all year long? What kind of place was this?

 

They continued past the school, and Rey watched as the kids turned to stare. Great, she thought, I’ll probably be the talk of the school come Monday. She sighed again and turned her head back towards the front of the car.

 

The trees had thinned out when they entered Carrington, and now the foliage was thickening again. Rey was getting a little irritated. They were in the damn town, now where was this damn house?

 

Another two miles passed and she was going to complain again, but her father slowed down so that he could turn onto a cobblestone driveway. This seemed out of place, as every other driveway had been gravel or dirt. Also, this driveway had two posts made of natural stone, marking the entrance.

 

Both posts had globe-like lanterns on top of them. The left one held a plaque that stated the property was 11013 Jakku Road. The right post had a built-in mailbox. The vegetation was carefully trimmed all the way up the hill where the land flattened out, and a monstrosity of a house erupted from the ground.

 

Rey had to gape at the sight. What the hell had her parents been thinking? Why did they need a house that large? It must have been sitting on a quarter of an acre, if not a half!

 

Her father had researched the house in Carrington before they went to look at it. Rey had not gone along because she had been ill at the time. It had been built in the early 1900’s; back then it had just been a one-room single story cottage with a tin roof and clapboard shingles. From a photograph, the small dwelling and barely formed ruts that signaled the lane looked very out of place surrounded by a dense forest.

 

It seemed off, but there were only five photographs of the house, one for every owner. In every picture, the house had changed drastically. It had caught fire one night in 1956, and the owners had bulldozed the remains to the ground. Where those blacken pieces had laid, now stood a magnificent house.

 

The actual house stood at the peak of a hill, hidden by trees from curious onlookers. There was enough room for a driveway that led to a three-car unattached garage, a covered walkway lead from there to the house. The cobblestone that was in the driveway was also the same kind of stone that the walk and the porch were made from.

 

There it stood like a manor out of medieval times. Six natural stone columns supported a balcony. There were three visible stories, but Rey would soon find out that the house was actually four stories. All the accents, doors and windows, were made out of wood. She quickly counted the number of windows and doors, which came to fifteen and three. There were two chimneys, one at each end of the house.

 

“Well?” her mother asked as soon as the car was turned off.

 

Well? What did her mother mean by _well_? Rey looked at her mother like she was insane. Usually her attitude wouldn’t be so bad, but lately, she wasn’t feeling like herself.

 

“Er… It’s—Is there any reason why you two got a house that was so big?” Rey asked. “And it doesn’t look very safe if there is ever a zombie invasion.”

 

Her parents laughed and as soon as the car doors opened and the dogs perk up did Rey understand why her parents had bought such a big house. As she let Chewie and Porg out of the car, the two canines immediately started running around as someone had just presented them with a never-ending bowl of table scraps. The dogs had never got to run free like this in L.A. They had always been on leashes and walked.

 

It made Rey happy as Chewie came bounding towards her with what looked to be a small limb in his mouth. She looked around for Porg only to see him marking the trees and shook her head. Taking the stick from Chewie, Rey chucked it as far as she could. She would have done a second throw had her father not came up beside her.

 

“Did you see the garden?” he asked.

 

The girl looked at him warily. She knew when an English gentleman said garden; it meant a yard with rosebushes. He surprised her as she followed her father towards the side of the house. There was not one piece of landscaping except the low bushes that were strategically placed between the columns. No pool or waterfall that you would see out on the west coast. Instead, nine neat three by three-foot squares of dirt sat with three feet of green between each. Rey gasped as she also spied several fruit trees and some berry bushes.

 

“OH!” Rey exclaimed, hands flying to her cheeks. “DAD! _An actual garden_!”

 

Her father laughed then nodded his head. “Yes, an actual garden. What did you expect? Of course, your mother said that she’d like some space to try and grow some flowers.”

 

Rey laughed along with her father. She knew her mother had a black thumb. The woman killed most green things, including weeds. Her thoughts turned to shopping and how she was going to arrange the garden. Another idea popped into her head. Did Carrington have a supermarket or a hardware store?

 

“I’ll need fertilizer, plant food, seeds…” she mumbled to herself as she walked around the squares. “Ooh, perhaps we can put in some paving stones to make a path! But the seeds first, they need to be prepared for the ground.”

 

The straight brown hair bounced as Rey looked around. It was definitely mid-April because she counted ten dogwood trees blossoming. Every time the wind blew the petals from the blooms scattered like huge snowflakes. Apparently, she had no time to mess about. If she wanted a garden, it had to be prepared now.

 

“What are the fruit trees?”

 

“I think those are peach, an apple, and a cherry tree but don’t take my word. The berry bushes are blueberries and raspberries. I couldn’t get any fully grown strawberry plants,” the man answered.

 

Rey pumped her fist. “Do you think we can go get the seeds now?”

 

Her father held up a hand. “Whoa, slow down. You’ve not even seen the inside of the house! Don’t you want to know where your room and things are?”

 

Turning her attention back to the broad expanse of the house and yard, Rey gazed at the property. She noticed that towards the back of the house the land dropped away and more stone columns were holding up the porch, which apparently wrapped around the house. There were more windows and doors on the side of the house.

 

Her father noticed where she was looking and grinned. He motioned for her to follow him. “C’mon then. Let’s go take a look.”

 

There was nothing in the world that could explain Rey’s feelings as she took in the view once she got to where the land just seemed to drop into nothingness. The scenery was amazing. Trees everywhere until they disappeared into a murky blue. The ocean. Her ears told her there was a water source closer than that. Rey looked around until she saw a small creek that cascaded down rocks, creating a natural waterfall. The water flowed until it took another trip downhill.

 

“Wow.”

 

“I knew you’d like it. But I’ve another surprise for you,” her father gently took her hand and led her down a set of stairs she hadn’t noticed. These were made from natural stone once again, but they were smoothed down as if a million footsteps had passed over them.

 

Down below the house was a wall of glass fading to a solid stone wall then merging into the hillside. Rey’s eyes widened as she looked through the panes then at her father. The room was done entirely in her favorite colors. Peach, gray, beige and white adorned the room.

 

“You’ve given me the entire basement?” She finally asked after the initial shock wore off.

 

Her father took out a key and opened the door so that she could enter the room. “Pssht. Are you kidding, kid? You have to share this floor with a hallway and the laundry room, but we gave you your own bathroom.”

 

This made Rey roll her eyes. Her father showed her the bathroom, which was done in mostly white but had the same colors as her room. They retreated into her room, but this time they went to the door that led to the hall, which seemed like it ran the entire length of the house. Rey’s room was right under the stairs; there were doorways to the bathroom and laundry room. The other door, her father explained, was for storage and had the water heater and furnace.

 

The pair ascended the stairs to find themselves on the first floor which was very open and airy compared to what the outside of the house looked like. Rey had imagined the inside to have many little, closed off rooms but it was essentially one room with two fireplaces at each end. The house was done in white, beige, and her mother’s favorite color, sky blue. The entire floor had a nautical theme to it. There were pictures of the sea, ships, birds, and other things you would find along the water’s edge.

 

Speak of the devil, Rey thought as she saw her mother coming around where the fridge sat. She was always smiling and upbeat for someone who hadn’t had such a good life.

 

Jyn Erso had lived on the eastern side of the United States until she went to design school in San Francisco. She had been through several earthquakes when she had decided she had enough of America’s natural disasters and went to London, where she met Cassian Andor. Jyn always told Rey that she had been charmed by her father’s accent and his chivalrous ways. He was quite the gentleman, who had adorned her with flowers and when Jyn left England without saying goodbye, Cassian followed her and asked for her hand in marriage.

 

That had been a little over eighteen years ago, and her parents seemed more in love every year. The couple had finished school before they had Rey, both graduating with honors. The brunette automatically wondered if their marriage would survive what was looming in the distance.

 

Her mother took her hand this time, and the women went up another staircase on the other side of the wall. At the top of the stairs was a huge loft area that held different desks, a drafting table, and other office-type stuff. There was also another flight of stairs and two other doors.

 

“This is going to be your father’s work area, and mine will be up there,” her mother said as she pointed to the stairs.

 

“The other doors are to your bedroom and a bath?” Rey asked as her mother nodded.

 

She knew her parents had said that they would take a year off from their jobs to spend time with her but Rey knew they got bored quickly. The girl took the information and filed it away as an open invitation to bother them if she needed anything. She wouldn't, but at least the option was there to be accessed.

 

Her mother cleared her throat and clasped her hands in front of her. “I know I’ve asked you today but, how are you feeling? Did you get any sleep last night or today?”

 

Instantly, Rey’s eyes narrowed into slits, and her good mood vanished. It was typical that her mother would get her alone and ambush her with these questions. Those two questions were forbidden and loathed. It was pointless to ask them in Rey’s mind.

 

It was also pointless to ask if she slept. That was the stupidest question ever. What was the point of asking if someone with a virtually unknown and ultimately fatal disease slept? Mainly since the disease dealt with sleeping! Rey knew her mother was just trying to take care of her, but it was tough to be optimistic when you were sixteen and dying.

 

It had started about six months ago. There would be nights where Rey went to bed later and later because she didn’t feel sleepy. She would lie in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling. Even if her day had been exhausting, she couldn’t fall asleep. Her parents had thought she was doing drugs, but Rey explained that would be totally idiotic.

 

Then came the nights she would sleep but wake up ever several hours and then have trouble going back to sleep. Sleeping pills didn’t work neither did sleeping aids. Her parents had bought Rey a new bed, changed her room around, the sheets, lighting and pretty much everything else. They scheduled massages, relaxation and meditation sessions for her.

 

Eventually, it became a pattern for the girl only to get five or fewer hours of rest a night. Rey began to lose weight, and her grades slipped. She stopped doing the activities that gave her so much joy, like soccer and shopping. It was her father who had put his foot down and took her to the doctor. Rey was as stubborn as a mule about it too.

 

_“I’m fine!” she would yell at her father._

 

_“No, you’re not!” he would reply to her._

 

That had been a familiar argument that had echoed through the condo as she worsened.

 

Rey resisted the urge to sneer at her mother and gave her a very forced smiled instead. “I’m fine, and I rested in the car. Now if you’ll excuse me, Mom, I don’t want to be here right now.”

 

Turning, Rey flew down the stairs and found her way out of the house. She heard her mother’s question about where was she going, but Rey had lost all patience.

 


	3. The New Freak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IDK why my phone autocorrects Andor to Bridges. I want to turn Autocorrect off.

“Oh my god. Look.”

 

There was a group of kids standing next to a very nice Jeep as the SUV drove past the school. There was no one in the entire town that owned a brand new Honda, so it had to be someone new or someone from the city. Sure enough, it was someone new. California license plates and windows tinted so darkly; you couldn’t see into the car.

 

The teenagers all turned their heads and watched as the vehicle rolled by. Carrington School was a very close society. There were not many students in each grade level, about thirty-five or so. Everyone knew everyone else, so when the students in the high school building heard there was a new student coming, it had been the news for the past month.

 

The girl who had called attention to the car was Phasma Snoke. She basically ran the entire school. Those that didn’t know Phasma would have thought her to be charming with a winsome smile; others who were lucky to see her real side knew that she was shallow, conceited and selfish. Her parents were head of the PTA; she was president of the student council and head cheerleader.

 

Her skin was the color of eggshells, and her eyes were huge blue pools. Phasma had a heart-shaped face that was framed by a chin length white blonde bob. Her full lips and straight nose completed her good looks. She had a slender, tall body with a nice size chest that she had thrown a fit about until she got it.

 

To be noticed, you had to have noticeable things, was her motto. That’s how Phasma operated. The only time that something held her back was the unknown, and that was currently sitting in that car that had disappeared into the trees.

 

“I hope it’s one of those cute tanned surfer guys!” Alaine Unamo squealed, while Phasma rolled her eyes. “He can teach us how to surf!”

 

“Nah, it’s some hot volleyball lady with some alterations.” This rude statement came from Armitage Hux, the head of the basketball team. He waggled his eyebrows at the girls standing next to him, who just seemed to swoon.

 

The eight teens laughed except for one boy named Ben Solo, who sighed. His friends were idiots sometimes. He was different from the crowd; at least he thought he was. He played basketball, baseball, football,  and wrestled but he worked for everything. He glanced down at his watch and gave another sigh.

 

“Dammit, I’ve got to go. Papers to deliver,” he said, giving the group a one arm wave; the other arm was pulling on his backpack. They lived in the technological age, but most of the people around here still read an actual newspaper.

 

“Aww, Ben! Do you have to go?” Phasma asked in a childlike voice, petulant and spoiled.

 

The boy ignored her and started to where the bikes were chained. He may have been old enough to drive, but his mom couldn’t afford to get him a car. She was a teacher for crying out loud, so after school and weekends, Ben did anything and everything to keep the money rolling in. There were two things that were important to him. First was his Car Fund, which he saw, as most important then came his College Fund. He didn’t think of that so much because Ben didn’t really know what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He didn't want to spend that much money for a mediocre salary.

 

His friends laughed at him when he first started to ride his bike to school after he turned sixteen. Some of them, like Phasma, had almost new cars, while others drove some that had seen better days. Ben had been asked many times why didn’t he have a car. He could have ridden to school with his mom since she taught at the school, but sometimes she didn’t leave until almost five o’clock. By that time it would be too late to deliver papers. Embellishing a story with help from his mom, Ben managed to tell them that he had broken something valuable of his mother’s and he had to pay for the repairs. His friends seemed to back off when he explained that his mom was making him work it off, instead of buying him a car.

 

At least the weather was good today; no rain and not a cloud in the sky, which made him very grateful the weatherman had been right. Ben waved once again to his friends as they left the school grounds, honking at him. He slowly started pedaling towards the center of town where the only traffic light was. The house that his mom had bought years ago was three blocks past the light.

 

The house was small and looked like many other houses found on the coast. It was just right for two people. One and a half stories, the house had a small porch to greet visitors with a concrete path that lead to the sidewalk. Bushes flanked either side of the porch. They were positioned right underneath the windows. Dark wood shingles covered the exterior, while slate tiles covered the roof. The only alarming feature about the house was the short red brick chimney that emerged from the middle of the house. It went through the middle of his room.

 

Ben slowed as he approached the house and parked his bike in the shed. After relocking the door, he went through the gate that led to the backyard. His mother always planned to fix up the small space so that she could sit out here in the summer and read a book. He frowned as stared at the jungle of weeds before entering the house. He’d get started on it during spring break, which was only seven days away.

 

He entered a kitchen done in yellows and lemons, which sometimes he thought was too bright but his mother was a bright person. She always saw the better side of things. She had hope and optimism.

 

Dropping his backpack on a kitchen chair, Ben grabbed a banana from the basket sitting on the counter then dashed up the stairs that sat at one end of the kitchen. The entire floor was his bedroom. Yeah, it didn’t have the most headroom because of how the roof sloped, but it suited him. There were wood beams exposed with white plaster between them as you’d find in an old house that was a historical building. The chimney that went through the middle of his room served as somewhat of a divider. One side of the room, just at the top of the stairs held his bed, dresser with an alarm clock and lamp sitting on top, and his tiny closet. The other side of the chimney had his desk and chair, TV, stereo, and a small bookcase.

 

The room was kept mostly clean except for his desk, which was littered with books. His bookcase also needed straightening because of the overflow of books, DVDs, and CDs, video games that took almost every space on the shelves. There were several posters that were out of date and a full-length mirror on the closet door. It looked like a boy’s room, but there was nothing that made it scream, “BEN’S ROOM!”

 

He shook his head and quickly stripped off his school shirt and launched the piece of clothing towards his laundry basket. The jeans would do since he had had them for ages, but his mom would kill him if he did anything to mess up the nice shirts she managed to buy him at the beginning of the year. He walked over to his dresser to pull out a t-shirt.

 

Before he pulled it on, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. He hated how he looked. His unruly black hair was pulled in natural waves that fell into his eyes. Those eyes were dark brown, almost black in color. He was tan since he worked outside so much.

 

Ben’s eyes slid over his reflection taking in the square angles of his jaw and the thin lips. His mother said they had been chiseled from marble. He dismissed the slightly crooked nose, an accident sledding several years ago, and the dimples that showed when he smiled. His physique was horrible, and he was too skinny, his coaches said. Ben needed to bulk up. He had muscles, and they were well defined. He even had a six-pack, but it wasn’t enough to impress any sports scouts.

 

At least the girls at school thought he was good-looking, he thought as he pulled the shirt over his head. Ben looked at his watch as soon as he could and swore softly. He’d have to kick it into high gear unless he didn’t want to get paid this week. He quickly ate his banana as he looked for his delivery bag. Finding the old canvas bag, he slung it over his shoulder and launched himself down the stairs.

 

He stopped long enough to grab some papers that were rolled up in a box in the kitchen and then headed out the back door. It was somewhat sad what Ben had to go through to deliver papers, but it would be worth it when he finally purchased his car. He got up every morning around five a.m. to get the papers off the porch and roll them up, putting a rubber band around each paper so it wouldn’t come undone. Then he’d eat breakfast and finish any homework he hadn’t completed the night before. School came next, and right after that, it was time to deliver the paper.

 

Today when he finished one side of Carrington he went back to his house to grab his bike and some more papers. There was another kid in town that did another route on the other side of town. Usually, he would have done his entire job on foot, but he had to go out on Jakku Road to sign up a new customer. Ben pedaled at a slow pace and threw papers with some precision onto porches then when there were no more newspapers in his bag; he began his journey under the canopy of trees. It didn’t take him long to find the driveway he was looking for, about twenty minutes to go two miles. It was all uphill.

 

Ben quickly turned into the driveway with his bike. The hill was huge and sloping but he knew pedaling up that kind of incline would be hell on his legs. So Ben parked his bike behind one of the stone columns and started walking up the hill. When he got to the top of the hill, he wasn’t prepared for anything, not for the substantial fluffy dog running towards him, not for the brunette that was running behind the massive animal or the house and car that greeted him. It was the same car that Phasma had pointed out.

 

“Chewie! Stop! Bad dog!” the girl screamed as the dog skidded to a halt just a foot away from Ben. He eyed the dog and took a step back. “You stop too, Porg!”

 

Ben turned his head only to see an even bigger dog behind him. He swallowed and turned back to the girl. So she was the new student he guessed because she looked too young to be an adult. Alaine was going to be very disappointed that it wasn’t a surfer boy. Hux wasn’t going to be impressed either. She had a head full of mousey brown hair that cascaded down her back, and Ben wasn’t real sure of her eye color because she was glaring at him.

 

“You’re on private property, you do realize that don’t you?” she said, the tone of her voice angry. “Who are you?”

 

Well, wasn’t she just a ball of joy. Ben frowned at her rude tone and decided to answer her questions. “Hello, Ben Solo. I deliver the newspaper,” he said. “And I do realize I’m on private property, but I was told to come up here to sign someone up for daily delivery.”

 

The girl looked angry for a moment before the expression turned into bewilderment. It was then that an older man came out of the house. There were some similarities in the features of the man that Ben had noticed on the girl, like the round face, the dimpled chin, and her small but straight nose. She was cute but nothing that Ben would go after if he were looking. Besides, she had a nasty temper.

 

“Ah, hello. Can I help you, young man?” the man asked once he reached the teenagers.

 

Before Ben could answer, the girl spoke. “DAD! Why did you get the paper? Nothing happens in small towns! There's something called the internet!”

 

HA! Just because there wasn’t a murder, shooting or bank robbery every two minutes like out in California, didn’t mean that things didn’t happen in Carrington! Ben thought to himself.

 

He stopped himself short of that thought. He didn’t even know this girl, and he was making assumptions about her. It was the type of thing Phasma would do. Unsure of what to do Ben finally spoke up, “I’m Ben Solo. I deliver the newspaper.”

 

The pair turned their heads as if they were surprised that he was there. They must have been involved in a conversation. The man cleared his throat and smiled at Ben. “Ah, you’re the lad I was told to expect today!”

 

The boy nodded and dug into his delivery sack. It took him a moment, but he finally found the blue card, which was for new subscribers. “Here you are, Mr. … ”

 

“Andor, Cassian Andor. This charming young woman is my daughter, Rey.” Mr. Andor said before he took the card. He looked at it. “Er, I suppose I’m to fill this out and return it?”

 

Ben’s eyes flickered to the girl who was still glaring at him before he nodded. “You can return it to that address or give it back to me when you’re finished.”

 

“Oh! Could you wait a moment then? I’ll just dash inside and fill this out,” Mr. Andor said, turning to walk towards the house.

 

Ben watched as the front door close and then he was once again alone with the girl and the two dogs. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other before he decided that the silence was killing him. “So you’re the new kid we’ve heard about.”

 

If looks could kill, Ben would have been dead. “Well that seems a bit obvious but yeah. I’m the new kid. Is everyone in this town an idiot like you?”

 

“What did I do to you for you to be so rude?”

 

The girl stopped short and dropped the glare. Was she surprised anyone would call her out like that? It took her a moment to speak, and when she finally did, Ben knew she had to think of an answer. “Because, you could have left the card in the mailbox instead of coming up here. Porg and Chewie could have run you over, and you would have been hurt, and I’d have to get rid of my dogs.”

 

The one she indicated as Porg came around him and sat down beside this Rey girl. He was almost as tall as her when he did that. The one named Chewie looked like a colossal fluff ball with his tongue lolling out. “Is that a husky?” Ben asked.

 

“Alaskan Malamute and Porg is an Irish wolfhound.”

 

“They’re awfully big dogs.”

 

“They’re better than ankle biters.”

 

Ben laughed. This he had to admit. Phasma had a Pomeranian, and that thing was yappier than she was. “Yeah, I have to agree with you there. All I’ve got is fish. My mom feeds them though.”

 

“Fish? What kind of tank? Salt or freshwater?” Rey seemed to be at ease with this conversation. Her eyes lit up and she actually kind of smiled.

 

“Uh, just your regular pet store fishes. A couple of goldfish, some loaches; I had some Japanese betas in there, but they killed a lot of the fish,” Ben said, scratching his neck. “I’d like to get a saltwater tank but can’t afford it.”

 

“I love to fish. They’re relaxing to watch. At our building in L.A., the lobby had a saltwater tank that took up most of one wall. There were all kinds of animals in it; sea anemones, urchins, starfish. I think there was one shark in there, but it was the ones that didn’t get real big. Clownfish… I can’t think of what else they had.”

 

Ben smiled back at her. She was stunning when she smiled. “Did you go to the ocean much living in California?”

 

“How did you know I lived in California?” Rey asked, puzzled for a moment.

 

“The license plate says California. I figured that’s where you were from.” Ben pointed at the car for emphasis.

 

The girl turned her head and peered at the car for a moment. “Ah, well not really. Maybe a couple of times a year. The beaches were always crowded and noisy. You can’t really take animals down there either.”

 

Ben watched as the girl’s mouth turned down into a frown. “Well, we don’t have rules like that down at the beach. Bring the dogs, most people do. Does the fluffy one shed a lot?”

 

“Chewie? Yeah, I have to brush him every day, or else there is hair everywhere. I think it’s worse when he gets a bath because he doesn’t get a scrubbing like that—“

 

Rey would have kept going on, but a Jeep pulled up into the driveway. The window rolled down, and Ben saw Phasma looking at him as if she were angry. She turned the car off, and it was quiet for a moment before it became too awkward for Ben to stand.

 

“Hey, Phas, this is uh, Rey… Rey Andor. She’s the new girl,” he said and pointed to where she was standing. “This is—“

 

“I can introduce myself, Ben, dear but I won’t. I’m in a rush,” Phasma said from where she sat in the car. “I need you to go with me down to the city so that we can finish preparations for prom.”

 

Ben shifted his weight again. Damn. Why had she put him on the spot like that? “I’m waiting for Mr. Andor to finish the customer form. As soon as he’s done, I’ll ride my bike over to your house.”

 

There came an abrupt laugh from the car. “Jack is taking your bike to your house,” Phasma commented as she checked her nails. They were impeccable as always, Ben knew. “And whoever that is can send the form in. C’mon, I’m in a hurry, and we’ve got dinner plans with Hux and whatever her name is.”

 

“Its Hayley,” Ben muttered as he tried to remain calm. It hadn’t been his idea to take Phasma to the prom; that had been all her idea. Ever since he consented over three months ago, she acted as she owned him. Phasma Snoke had made it very clear to everyone that Ben was her prom date.

 

It looked like Phasma was going to say something else, but Rey’s dad came out of the house carrying the form. “Here you are, Ben. I’ve included my first week’s payment with the form. I hope that’s alright,” Mr. Andor said as he came up to the pair. “I’m sorry. Was I keeping you waiting from a ride home?”

 

Ben was about to shake his head, but Phasma had to open her big mouth. “C’mon Ben. We need to go. It was nice to meet you... uh, whatever your name was... Trey!”

 

Irritation ran through Ben as he heard Phasma get Rey’s name wrong. What was wrong with her? He turned to address the two Andors, who were standing in the grass looking at him. “Uh, thanks, Mr. Andor. I look forward to doing business with you. It was nice to meet you, Rey. See you at school on Monday.”

 

He trudged slowly to the Jeep and climbed in on the passenger side, and Ben watched in the side mirror as the image of the two dogs and the brunette girl became smaller.

 

“How did you know where I was Phasma?” He asked as they turned out onto the road. It struck him as odd that she had pulled into the Andor’s driveway, but he had dismissed it because Phasma had started ordering him around.

 

“Jack, of course; if you have younger siblings why not put them to good use?” She quipped. “He said you were on your way up to the Erso Estate. I decided to rescue you.”

 

Ben didn’t mean to, but he let out a snort. “Rescue me? Rescue me from what?”

 

Phasma rolled her eyes and sighed as if Ben was being extremely silly. “The new freak. She should have totally picked a different box of hair dye at Wal-Mart. That brown on her makes her look washed out.”

 

“What?”

 

“She is so not going to be part of the crowd at school. Come Monday; she’ll already be an outcast.”

 

Ben looked at Phasma with a horrified expression on his face. What had Rey Andor done to her? The girl hadn’t even spoken to Phasma, and already Phasma was declaring her an outcast? What happened to equality? Oh, right. It was a high school; there were none.

 

He crossed his arms over his chest and sat quietly as Phasma chattered on about something. Ben was lost in thought, convinced that he was different than any of the other kids he hung out with. Perhaps if he were friends with Rey, then other people would accept her.

 


	4. Welcome to Your First Day In Hell

Monday came too quick for Rey, although the hours just seemed pushed together without an adequate amount of sleep.

 

The rest of Friday was spent unpacking the trailer, which was filled with stuff that hadn’t gone onto the moving van like important documents, clothing, her mother’s photo albums and portfolio, her father’s collections of work, drawings, and models. The small trailer was parked in the garage, which Rey was surprised to find there were already two cars parked in it.

 

She recognized her mother’s BMW but the other car, Rey didn’t know. It was her parents who told her, and when she found out, Rey was surprised that her jaw didn’t hit the floor.

 

“We decided that you’re old enough to drive yourself around. You’ve had your license for a bit, and I know L.A. isn’t the best place to drive,” Jyn explained as she handed her daughter the keys.

 

“You’re kidding, right?” Rey looked at her parents, noting the way they held each other and smiled at her, briefly wondering if this was some kind of gift of guilt. Why would any parent just give their child a brand new car? But they weren’t kidding. On Saturday, she had driven the white Honda Civic, with her dad riding along, into town to pick up seeds, plant food and other necessities she would need for her garden, and on Sunday she had prepared the garden and the seeds so that she could plant them next month.

 

Now it was Monday morning, and Rey sat in the car, in the driveway panicking, and that is where she would have stayed all day had her father not came out of the house and knocked on the driver side window. “Morning Dad,” Rey managed to say as the window slowly went down.

 

“Morning Rey. Don’t you have school?”

 

Her hands tightened on the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. School, yeah… school. The place where she was the new girl; where she would stick out like a sore thumb. A place where Rey had no allies. Perhaps the kids were friendly and would welcome her... On the other hand, the girl who had shown up to pick up that paperboy had been rude. She was so screwed.

 

Why was she panicking about this? It was an activity she had been performing for most of her life. Go to school, get good grades so that she could go to a good college and become a veterinarian. What was the point now? Go to school, get good grades, and die when you’ve barely started living.

 

Total bullshit. This entire situation was complete and utter bullshit.

 

It was some kind of genetic disease the specialist told them after all the tests were performed. Fatal Familial Insomnia and out of the six billion people who inhabited the planet, Rey was basically one in a million. It was explained that most persons with the disease showed symptoms later in life, not when they were sixteen.

 

There was talk about mutations and proteins and the thalamus, but Rey didn’t understand it much. Her parents asked the most questions. Will she lead a normal life? How long do we have? Options and treatments? Stages and things to look for?

 

It was all _such bullshit,_ Rey thought.

 

How was she going to live normally when she knew she had so little time to do anything? The doctors said it could be as soon as seven months or up to thirty-six months. How could you live your entire life in thirty-six months?

 

The doctors also said that the time would be marked in stages. The first stage had symptoms of increasing insomnia, panic attacks, developing phobias, and paranoia. The next stage involved hallucinations and the panic attacks got worse and became more noticeable. The third stage was the complete inability to sleep and weight loss. The fourth stage was dementia, sometimes insanity and if she were lucky, Rey would fall into a coma and become unresponsive. She’d fade away into nothingness.

 

There was nothing the doctors could do but prescribe pills for the symptoms and try sedating her with various other drugs. Rey wouldn’t allow it. Man-made substances were harmful to human bodies; what came in had to come out and since Rey didn’t eat processed foods and she didn't take processed chemicals. She couldn’t have that affecting her life. Drugs would interrupt that cycle.

 

Her Uncle John had called her a hippie and a tree hugger but in a joking manner. It was this man that showed her to impact Mother Earth as little as possible. Her carbon footprint was minimal. She liked to keep it that way.

 

But those bottles of pills sat in her medicine cabinet, just in case.

 

“Rey, are you alright? Rey?” Her father sounded frantic, and it was his touch that pulled her back into the present. “Rey, breathe. In and out, in and out. C’mon you can do it.”

 

She felt lightheaded and somewhat woozy as she tried to focus on her father’s concerned face. “What?”

 

“Gracious child! You could give someone a heart attack. You weren’t breathing, and your face was turning blue. Are you okay?” He asked as he pulled the handle of the door. It swung open, and the girl just slumped lower into the seat.

 

“I was thinking,” she said.

 

Her father gave her a skeptical look before he reached for her face. He tilted her head upwards so that he could peer at her eyes. “ _Thinking_? D’you, mind telling me what about?”

 

“I was thinking—I think I was thinking about if I had everything I needed.” Cassian looked at his daughter before she shooed him away. Rey shook her head. “I’m fine Dad! Can you go get me some water?”

 

It only took him several moments before he was back with a bottle, which Rey received with a small smile. “Thank you,” she said before closing the car door again.

 

Rey was aware that her father watched her as she opened the bottle and took a sip. It helped a little but really didn’t dispel the anxious feelings. She put the bottle in her school bag then started the car. Perhaps if she drove to school with the window down, the cool morning air would clear her mind.

 

She carefully backed up so that she could go down the driveway correctly and soon the big house was obscured by browns and bright greens blocking it from view. It took no time at all to drive down the road to where the school was on the edge of town. The lot at the side of the high school building was half full, and students were filtering into the building.

 

Picking one of the closest spots to the door where the sign declared the office was, Rey pushed the button, which would roll up the window then she climbed out of the car with her bag and locked it. She knew she could have possibly left the car unlocked, but it was just habit from living in California for so long to lock the doors.

 

It was almost automatically that she felt eyes on her and Rey took a deep breath so that she could concentrate on walking to the doors of the school. The door wasn’t all that heavy as she pushed it open but something felt burdensome and oppressive as she walked up a set of stairs and into the small school office. Weight settled on her shoulders.

 

A counter separated the room into two unequal halves, and there were two ladies in the office; a thin, old woman sitting at a desk speaking into a telephone and a plump younger woman who was talking to another student.

 

“…You’ll want to tell Dr. Kanata about it. I’m sure she’ll have it all sorted out by the end of the day.” The plump lady was saying before she saw Rey. “Oh goodness! You’re finally here! I know every face in this school, and you have to be the new girl.”

 

Rey cleared her throat and nodded. “Yeah, I’m Rey Andor. Do I need to fill out anything? I’m sure my dad took care of everything, but I just want to double check. I also need a parking pass for the parking lot.”

 

There was silence in the room before the two ladies, and the student burst out laughing. Rey didn’t think she had said anything funny, but she smiled anyways. The old woman hung up the phone and stood, coming around the desk to the counter. She looked kind, but Rey knew that old ladies appearances could be deceiving.

 

“Dear, you don’t need a parking pass to drive your car. We just need you to fill out this form and return it to us by the end of the week. We keep a copy of this on file and also give one to the police.”

 

“Oh,” Rey said, biting her lip. Weren’t these people scared about school shootings or crazy people entering the building going on a rampage? Where were the security, metal detectors, cops, and dogs? Then it dawned on her; this town was in no way shape or form worried about things like that. “Oh, I see. The size of the school…”

 

The woman nodded, “We pretty much know everyone. And you don’t need to do a thing sweet pea, your papa took care of things, and all I need to do is give you your schedule.”

 

The plump lady already had it in her hand and held it out to Rey. “Enjoy your day dear.”

 

Rey took the sheet of paper and glanced down at the subjects with a raised eyebrow. English? Algebra III? Chemistry? Art? History? What kind of classes were these? She should have been taking Honors English and Calculus! She had been in Anatomy and Physiology and Zoology at her former school! This was an outrage!

 

The other student had left the room, and Rey stood at the counter. The ladies had gone back to whatever school secretaries did during the day, so it took a minute before they noticed her.

 

“Yes, dear?”

 

Rey smiled and placed the schedule down on the counter. “I don’t mean to be a pain but is there someone I can talk to about this schedule?”

 

“Is there a problem with it?”

 

“Yeah, I’ve already taken half of these classes,” Rey said as she shifted her bag to her other shoulder. The two ladies looked at each other then at Rey, who just gazed back at them.

 

“You’ve already taken these classes?” The thin one asked. “Oh dear, that seems to be a problem. You’ll have to take your schedule and talk to Dr. Kanata about it—“

 

“She’ll have it sorted out by the end of the day,” Rey finished for the woman. She nodded and took the timetable off the counter before she left the room. Her first class was History III in room ten with a Mr. Statura then English in room two with Ms. Organa. Rey had to wonder if that these people were friendly. Her locker was number one twenty-nine, and with a quick glance at the lockers that were on her left, Rey knew she was on the wrong floor. There must be a basement or something.

 

She was going to ask someone when she saw the girl who had picked up Ben the other day. It was a stupid thing to do, but Rey thought she would be friendly. She walked up to Phasma Snoke.

 

“Hi,” she said to the girl who was surrounded by at least six other people. “You’re the girl who picked up Ben Solo at my house the other night, right? I didn’t catch your name but…”

 

It was as if aliens had landed and started taking over bodies right there in the hallway. There was a long silence as everyone who was near Phasma turned his or her head to look at Rey. Immediately, she became self-conscious. Was there something wrong with her outfit?

 

She looked just like any other teenager in America. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she was wearing her customary jeans, t-shirt and hoodies combination with tennis shoes. It wasn’t like she walked in wearing a ball gown or a bikini. Rey didn’t even fuss with that much make-up that morning. Some mascara and a bit of lip gloss from her favorite cosmetics company.

 

The pale skinned girl finally spoke. “Oh, I think I remember you. You’re Trey, right? Or Trina?”

 

“Rey, actually. You got my name wrong the other night too. I’m Rey. I was wondering—“

 

The look that crossed the other girl’s face was one of anger and unbelieving. The corner of her those full, pink lips curled slightly. “Yeah, I remember you. I meant to have Ben tell you that you should really tone down the ugly next time you dye your hair. That color doesn’t suit you; it’s all wrong. I think I saw a color called California Blonde Bimbo. You should really get some of that.”

 

There were snickers and giggling coming from anyone who was in hearing range, and Rey felt her cheeks flush. “I don’t dye my hair,” she mumbled as she moved away from the group.

 

The blush on her face stayed on her face all through History and well into the next period, where Ms. Organa made Rey stand up and tell the class about herself. She stood there looking at the floor and gave a muttered paragraph about herself. Rey didn’t even see that Ben sat a seat away from her and had given her a nod.

 

Her next class was a study hall where she picked the furthest table from anyone hunched over her bag. She didn’t even notice that two other people had sat at the table until one of them spoke to her. The girl was Asian as Rey could see, perhaps Japanese or Chinese, she couldn’t really tell. She had a somewhat short black hair cut in layers, and although she had a Hello Kitty headband in her hair, her bangs still obscured her eyes. She wore a hot pink shirt with black pinstripe pants and sneakers.

 

“So, you’re the new outcast. What’d you do to Phasma?” the girl asked in a whisper.

 

Rey lifted her head and glared at the girl for a moment. “Who is Phasma?”

 

It was the dark-skinned boy who answered this time. He had the appearance of a teddy bear with a pudgy face and smile. “She’s the girl who insulted you this morning when you corrected her.”

 

“Her name is Phasma? Who names their kid Phasma?” Rey asked, her whisper harsh.

 

“It’s a long story. Queen Bitch's name is Gwen Phasma Snoke, but she doesn’t like it, so people call her Phas or Phasma. Don't call her Gwen unless you want to die,” the girl said then extended her hand. “I’m Rose. Phasma doesn’t like me either and calls me Chow, like in Dog Chow. She thinks she's hilarious.”

 

“I’m Finn. Phasma doesn’t like me because she says I'm fat. I'm not fat,” the boy said dejectedly then fidgeted with his bag. “Phasma practically has everyone wrapped around her finger, so people aren’t going to talk to you unless Phasma has already said they were freaks.”

 

Rey looked at them and then sighed. “It’s nice to meet you two. Are there many of you?”

 

“Eh, there are enough to have our own lunch table,” Rose said quietly as the teacher walked by. She quickly opened her book bag and grabbed a book then flipped through it. A piece of paper the size of a business card fell out of the book, and she slid it over to Rey. “My number, feel free to call any time.”

 

The rest of the study hall went by in silence, and Rey walked towards room nine, which was Algebra III. That class went by quickly. She was loaded down with books and wished that she could find her locker. Her shoulder was killing her, and she was tired. Perhaps, since she was so tired, she’d actually sleep tonight.

 

Rey sighed as she entered the cafeteria to see high school kids everywhere. She saw Rose and Finn as they waved her over, pointing to a seat between them. She was almost tempted to refuse the invitation, but that would have been rude, and those two had already been so kind to her. She put a smile on her face and quickly walked over to the table.

 

The outcasts/freaks were just ordinary people, Rey thought as she ate her lunch. Rose had squealed over Rey’s bento lunch box, producing one of her own. She was, in fact, Japanese and went over there every year to visit her family. She also got some kick-ass accessories and cool gadgets. She had a sister who was older than her. Finn liked soccer, or football, as he called it. There was Connix, Poe, Pam, Major, Wexley, Brian (or Brain because he looked like a nerd and was proud of it), and Lovey who all saluted Rey because she had stood up to Phasma and become their hero.

 

“Does anyone know where locker one twenty-nine and Dr. Kanata’s office is?” Rey asked when she was done eating and cleaning her mess up.

 

It was Connix who answered, “Dr. Kanata’s office is up by the office, and that locker is right beside mine. I’ll show you if you’d like.”

 

Rey stood up after Connix did and bade good afternoon to the group of kids. She waited while Connix disposed of her lunch tray, biting her lip when she saw that the girl didn’t even throw her pop can into the recycling bin. Once Connix was done ruining the environment, Rey followed her out of the cafeteria.

 

“Who is Dr. Kanata?” Rey asked.

 

“She’s like our dean or principal, but she does a lot more than that. When we entered high school, we’ve kept the same lockers. There’s nothing but juniors down here,” Connix said as she approached a row of lockers that were painted a pale blue. “Next years’ freshman are on the third floor, which sucks to be them if they have their first class down here.”

 

Rey nodded at that and looked at the lockers. There were forty-five in all, only broken by doors, which led to the bathrooms and the gymnasium. Connix stopped in front of locker one thirty and pointed to the one next to it. Rey stared at it for a moment before she decided to pull the folded schedule from her pocket. That piece of paper had her combination on it.

 

As she was concentrating on entering the combination into the lock, Connix asked Rey an odd question. “What’s your last name again?”

 

“Andor, why?” Rey replied as her locker swung open.

 

“Your locker used to belong to a girl named Tallie Lintra. Her parents were in the military, and her dad got a new assignment, so they moved.”

 

“So, the lockers aren't in alphabetical order?” Rey looked at the blonde before she opened her school bag. “You said your last name was Connix right?”

 

The other girl nodded, “Your locker is right next to—“

 

“Hi, Rey.”

 

Rey stiffened as she heard the familiar male voice interrupt Connix. Actually, it wasn’t all that familiar, because she hadn’t been replaying the moment on Friday afternoon in her head. She groaned and then turned around to see that boy standing next to her, calmly twisting the dial of the locker he was in front of. She glanced back at Connix who shrugged apologetically and buried herself in her own locker.

 

Ignoring him would be best, Rey thought as she pulled the three books in her bag out and set them inside the metal box. He wouldn’t be ignored though, and Rey had figured that much out.

 

“You’re being rude again. How are Chewie and Porg? Is your dad enjoying the paper?” Ben asked, smiling at her.

 

Rey blushed slightly and nodded. “They’re fine, and I think he is. The paper has a lot of events printed that he and my mother want to go to.”

 

“Like?”

 

“Well I think my dad wants to go to the pie festival, he has a sweet tooth. My mom is interested in something about Memorial Day,” Rey answered as she shut her locker door. She really shouldn’t have said anything to the boy, but she felt comfortable talking to him.

 

“Memorial Day in the Park. What’s your next class?” Ben asked before he peered over her shoulder at her schedule. “Oh, you’ve got Chemistry then study hall, same as me.”

 

She rolled her eyes. Rey made sure her tone was sarcastic. “That just sends tingles to my toes. Which reminds me, I’ve got to go and talk to Dr. Kanata.”

 

“I’ll walk you.”

 

“No, you don’t have to. I’m sure you’ve got friends to get back to,” Rey replied as she backed away from Ben. “Leave me alone; you’re kind of creepy.”

 

Ben ignored her request. “So, what did you do at your old school? Anything fun?”

 

She tried to ignore him again but failed spectacularly. “I was on the soccer team, yearbook editor, president of the Environmentalist Club.”

 

“Why are you going to see Doc?”

 

Rey stopped for a moment and turned to glower at him. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re quite nosy?”

 

Ben gave Rey a smile that sent her heart beating ten times faster. “I don’t ever recall anyone saying that to me. I’m just trying to get to know my locker neighbor.”

 

“Why? No one else has been friendly to me today.”

 

“You’ve noticed that?”

 

“How many lockers separate me from Phasma?”

 

“Dunno. Her last name is Snoke so probably five or seven. Are you going to prom?”

 

“I just got here, so I don’t think so,” Rey replied as she began walking again. She refrained from reminding the boy that he already had a date. She didn't care.

 

“So you’ve got like three weeks. This week, next week, which we’re off because of spring break and then the week after that is prom,” Ben explained as they climbed a flight of stairs. “After prom week, there’s only three weeks of school left.”

 

She snorted in an unladylike fashion. “I know. My father said that you savages are released for three months for summer vacation.”

 

“We aren’t all savages!” Ben scoffed. “I supposed you went to a school that was in operation all year, right?”

 

“Yeah, I did.”

 

There was a moment of silence between the teens before the shrill noise that was supposed to signal the bell sounded. There was a flood of students everywhere, and Rey took the opportunity to escape from Ben who was still standing on the stairs.

 

The office ladies told her to go into Dr. Kanata’s office, and Rey did, astonished to see a pretty redhead woman sitting behind the desk. Rey had expected some old woman to be in charge. They discussed her timetable, but Dr. Kanata had nothing for Rey until next year. She would be able to take the more advance classes like Calculus, Anatomy, and Physiology. Rey frowned but nodded, and Dr. Kanata sent her on her way to study hall.

 

Rey took the farthest seat from Ben who was sitting with a tall boy and Phasma who glared at her, which was just fantastic. Her day couldn’t have gotten any worse, but she was wrong.

 

At the end of the school day, standing at her locker along with thirty-eight other students, Rey held her thick English book, worksheets and French books in one arm then she wasn’t. The books fell onto her right foot with a dull thud, and Rey bit her lip to keep from swearing. She glared at the person while everyone was laughing as her papers scattered across the hall.

 

Phasma just smiled and said, “Sorry, I tripped.”

 


	5. The Long Walk Home

Three weeks had passed since Phasma had pulled her little stunt with Rey. He hadn’t been impressed and refused to talk to Phasma for the rest of the week. He had felt bad for Rey because she came to school the next day limping. She declined to talk to him even when he had sat beside her in every class they had together. He didn’t see her at all during Spring Break although he hand-delivered the newspaper to the Bridges’ door every day. Then came last Monday, she still wouldn’t talk to him, so Ben practically gave up. 

 

Ben had to pay two middle school kids to do his paper route that Friday. 

 

“Ben! Are you done in the shower? Did you shave?”

 

Phasma’s voice on the other side of the bathroom door brought him back to the present. She had picked him up that morning for school and took him home and was back an hour later with his tuxedo, corsages, her dress and a small suitcase that held her hair stuff, makeup and her shoes. He had forgotten all about the prom because his thoughts had been centered on finishing the backyard, which his mother loved.

 

He had spent around two hundred dollars and almost every waking minute during his Spring Break working on a little haven for his mother. He had dug her a flower bed where he planted hostas, wildflowers, and ferns. Ben had also bought a birdbath, birdhouses, feeders, and seed. He thought his mom would appreciate the wildlife. The only thing he couldn’t do was destroy the concrete walk that came all the way to the back door. He had to work around that, and his Uncle Luke came through for him.

 

The man helped Ben dig out all the grass that surrounded a fifteen by fifteen foot square of grass that surrounded the walk. They had a debate after that happened. Should they put down sand and then paving stones or just fill the hole in with concrete. His uncle said that concrete would be easier to maintain, but the sand and pavers would be cheaper. Ben had opted for less expensive while his uncle wanted the easiest route.

 

Uncle Luke won only because he paid for a portion of the concrete while his mom paid the rest. That wasn’t all though; he had scrounged around for a patio table with an umbrella and a set of chairs. His mom was so excited about the outcome though. She had jumped up and down, squealing like a little girl, which made Ben grin from ear to ear.

 

The only thing he had to finish was putting several planters on each corner of the new patio and order the new French style door for the kitchen. His mom had authorized this because she wanted to view the beauty of the yard whenever she felt like it. But he couldn’t do that because Phasma had ordered him into the bathroom to shave and shower.

 

“Ben! Answer me, or I will come in there!”

 

“I’m almost done!” Ben shook his head in frustration. She had continuously nagged him all week like she was his girlfriend.

 

Ben had learned in the ninth grade what it was like to date Phasma. She had been controlling, possessive and jealous. He had been paired with Rose Tico in science for some project, and every time he had to talk to the girl, Phasma went off. She had made an outcast of the girl, calling her names and accusing her of stealing. About two weeks of this, Ben had about had it but he wasn’t the one to break it off with Phasma.

 

He had to go over to Rose’s house to finish the project. Phasma had followed him then accused Ben of cheating on her and told him that he wasn’t boyfriend material. He was okay with that. In fact, he had been so okay with it that Ben had been single since then, opting to focus on school and his job rather than mess around with females.

 

“Ben Scott!”

 

“What Phasma?” Ben shouted as he turned the water off and stepped out of the shower quickly grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist just in case she did decide to come in.

 

He heard a loud sigh. “We have dinner plans with _our_ friends, and we really need to get going.”

 

Ben shook his head and looked up at the ceiling as if to ask some higher power why were they torturing him. As quickly as he could, he put on deodorant and a bit of cologne that his mom had bought him then dried off. Pulling on his boxers, Ben wondered how close Phasma actually was to the bathroom. He didn’t want to go past her with just his underwear on.

 

Opening the door, Ben stuck his head out and looked down the hall. Phasma’s thin form was in the living room, talking on a cell phone. She already had her makeup, hair, and nails done. Why wasn’t she already dressed if she was in a hurry?

 

He sneaked out of the bathroom, towards the kitchen where his tuxedo was, laying on the kitchen table. If he could get the monkey suit, get upstairs and get dressed without drawing Phasma’s attention, he’d be in excellent shape, but Ben couldn’t be that lucky.

 

“You know you’ve got a really cute butt,” came a female voice. He turned and saw his prom date standing there with a smirk on her face.

 

“Uh, thanks. I guess,” Ben said as he inched towards the kitchen. It wasn’t that he was afraid of Phasma; it was just she had this look in her eyes that screamed that she ate men alive.

 

Phasma clapped her hands together, “Okay, get your tux and get dressed. I’m going to get dressed and then we’ll leave.” She paused for a moment before pursing her lips, “Do something with your hair. You should have gotten it cut.”

 

It was thirty minutes later before they left, which amused Ben because he only took five minutes to get ready. It took Phasma longer than that and she to have help, although he didn’t know why she couldn’t zip up her dress herself. His mom came home shortly after that happen and took pictures of the teenagers.

 

He was in a black tuxedo with a pale yellow tie and cummerbund. Phasma had on a long pale yellow dress, which shifted colors slightly when she moved. Ben didn’t like the color yellow, but it had been her choice. Phasma had picked out the colors for the dress and the tux; she had even designed the corsages.

 

It was several hours later when a black limo took sixteen people from the Snoke’s residence to the school, pulling up to the curb to let the kids out. Parents were standing around the entrance, cheering as each couple was announced. Ben could feel his face become hot when he and Phasma were called, although he didn’t know why he was embarrassed.

 

It could have been the catcalls that his friends were doing or the fact that Phasma was swishing her hips as they trotted up the walk to the gym doors. As soon as they were inside the school, Phasma practically dragged Ben into the gym which was supposed to look like Paris, France. The prom committee had either gotten lazy or didn’t have enough money to go all out really, but they tried.

 

There were painted shop fronts, and tiny lights covered potted trees. At the center of the gym was the beauty of the ball, a huge wood cutout of the Eiffel Tower stood, painted black and had silver glitter in thin ropes that crisscrossed the wood. The photo area had a painted backdrop of the Paris skyline at night.

 

They made a beeline towards where the rest of their friends sat laughing at something. Phasma pulled out her own chair and left Ben standing, which was fine with him. If he was standing there was a minimal chance that Phasma wouldn’t make a move on him.

 

He was busy looking around the room when he heard his name. Alaine who was wrapped in hot pink satin was looking at him with dream-filled eyes.

 

“Oh Ben!” she squealed. “You look hot in that shade of yellow! It really brings out the gorgeous color of your skin.”

 

Ben would have thanked Alaine for the compliment had Phasma not given the girl a nasty stare and insulted her.

 

The smile on Phasma’s face wasn’t friendly but one that was filled with venom. “Alaine, you look so nice in that dress, but the color is all wrong for you. The cut also is wrong; it doesn’t flatter your curves and flattens your chest. But I’m sure you did that on purpose. Any other day your chest looks like it's about to spill out of your shirt.”

 

Alaine had been smiling, but it quickly faded. The brown-haired girl excused herself, giving the reason she wanted some punch. Everyone at the table watched as she almost ran to the girl’s bathroom.

 

Ben sighed and wished Phasma would grow up. She had no right to say something like that to Alaine just because she had complimented him. It wasn’t like they were dating or anything.

 

“Ben!”

 

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at Phasma. She was staring up at him with an irritated expression. She had apparently been talking to him. “Uh, sorry. What’d you want?”

 

“I said I’d like to dance,” she replied.

 

“Oh… well…”

 

Phasma rolled her eyes and stood. “I guess I have to do everything myself.”

 

There were giggles from the girls as they left the group. Ben was perfectly comfortable as he placed his hands on Phasma’s waist, but she seemed to want to get a lot closer. Her arms wrapped around Ben’s neck, which brought her body close to his. There were a few minutes of silence between them as they swayed with the soft beat of the music the DJ had chosen.

 

“Ben, I know in the past we’ve had our differences, but I want to tell you how happy I am,” Phasma whispered into his ear.

 

Ben raised an eyebrow and pulled back so that he could look at Phasma. Why in the world would Phasma be happy? “Uh, okay. Is there a reason why you’re so happy?”

 

She smiled sweetly at him. “Because we’re together. We were meant to be together. You know I’ve asked my parents if you could come on vacation with us and they were delighted. Of course, they said yes. We can spend the whole summer together.”

 

His eyebrows drew together. What the hell was Phasma talking about? They weren’t together, at least not in that sense. They were friends! If they were a couple, then Phasma must have drugged him to get him to say yes! Ben gently pushed Phasma away from him.

 

“I’m thirsty. I’m going to get some punch. Do you want some?” Ben asked. He was glad that Phasma nodded because he thought that he’d run away from her anyway if she had said no.

 

Ben watched as Phasma walked away from him towards their friends before he moved. He took his time as he moved towards the refreshment table, not wanting to hurry back. Once he arrived at the table, he took his time filling up two glasses. He didn’t mean to, but he couldn’t help overhearing a small group of girls talking nearby.

 

“I heard he’s all over the new girl.”

 

“Phasma was pissed. She swore to make Andor’s life hell as long as Ben was interested.”

 

“Did you know he spent every afternoon during Spring Break at her house?”

 

“It’s okay, Phasma said that she was going to claim Ben tonight. She got a room.”

 

“Um, he’s right over there so, I think we should be quiet.”

 

Ben could feel his ears turn red as he walked back towards the table with the two cups of punch. He couldn’t make sense of what he heard. Why would Phasma make Rey’s life hell when she had done nothing to her? Ben only was interested in her as a friend, and of course, he was at her house every afternoon, he delivered the paper to their home. What had that girl meant when she said Phasma got a room? Ben had a vague idea, and it didn’t make him happy.

 

He set Phasma’s cup down in front of her, almost sloshing the liquid out of the cup onto her then sat down in the chair beside her. Ben took a deep breath before he spoke. “Phasma?”

 

The girl shifted her look from the dancers out on the floor to him. “Yes?”

 

“Did you—“

 

“Ben! Oh geez, man! Did you just get some of the punch? Someone spiked it!” Hux said, pounding Ben on the back then saluted him with the cup he held. “Take your cup back and get some of this!”

 

Immediately, half the kids at the table drifted towards the refreshment table, and Ben sighed. Half of his friends were driving somewhere to an after-prom party.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

“No, Phasma. Do you want to dance again?”

 

Ben kept his mind occupied with making sure he was being a good partner by dancing with Phasma for an hour, until the DJ stopped the music, calling the crowd to order.

 

“I’d like to thank everyone for coming out tonight!” There was a pause as cheers erupted from the students. “I’d like to inform everyone that there is a new batch of punch at the refreshment table.” A groan. “Photographs will be taken until nine-thirty, so you’ve got a half hour to get your faces over there. And finally, we’re going to be announcing the king and queen of this prom right now! But first… the prince and princess of the ball!”

 

There was some shuffling as Dr. Kanata stepped onto the raised platform where the DJ was stationed. “I would first like to thank all the students that came out tonight to take part in this dance. Tonight we’ll be crowning the prince and princess of tonight’s prom and then the king and queen. The prince and princess this year is…Oh, thank you for the envelope… Phasma Snoke and Armitage Hux!”

 

There was applause, and Phasma’s face lit up like it had been set on fire. Her white teeth gleamed as she broke away from Ben and practically ran to the makeshift stage. Doctor Kanata handed her a single rose and a simple tiara while Hux received a silver band as a crown. Their picture was taken, and they exited the stage while the prom court was assembling.

 

Phasma came back to him, still smiling and bopped him on the nose with the rose. “I’m surprised; I honestly didn’t think it’d be me. I thought Allison McCoy was going to get it.”

 

Ben quickly wiped his nose with his hand because the flower had left a drop of dew on the tip of it. “You deserve it, Phasma.” Allison is nowhere near the bitch you are, he added silently.

 

“I think I’d like to get some fresh air, do you want to go outside?” she asked as she took his hand.

 

Ben glanced down but didn’t say anything as Phasma led him out of the gym to the entrance. There were no parents mingling around, just some teachers that were serving as chaperones and the valets, which were really parents who had volunteered for the activity. No one said anything as Ben and Phasma walked past them.

 

The valet smiled, and Ben noticed it was Alaine’s dad. He was smiling as his daughter was earlier tonight and held his hand out. “Your ticket please.”

 

Phasma produced a small white ticket with the number one printed on it, which surprised Ben. Had she driven her car here? When had she driven her vehicle here? She had practically been around Ben all afternoon.

 

Her Jeep pulled up, and Mr. Unamo smiled as Phasma went around to the driver side. Ben didn’t say anything as he helped the girl in or when he shut the door. He heard the passenger side door click, and he knew that was his cue to get in the car. His mouth set in a hard line as he got in and he didn’t speak until Phasma pulled into a motel parking lot that was fifteen miles north of Carrington.

 

“Phasma?”

 

“Yes, dear?”

 

“Why are we here?”

 

Phasma giggled at him as she pulled a key from the console. “Oh, Ben. You can’t be so dense as not to know why we’re here.”

 

Ben very rarely got angry with anyone. He had a temper, but he didn’t like to show people how bad it was. “Phas, did you ever think what I’d do if I found out you did something stupid like this? What makes you so damn sure that I’m attracted to you?”

 

“You accepted my invitation to the prom!” Phasma stopped, frozen in mid-action of getting out of the car.

 

“I accepted because I knew you’d either nag me until I caved or make my life miserable, just like you’re doing to Rey Andor,” Ben snapped at her.

 

There was a huff and Phasma looked at Ben as if he was the lowest thing ever. “What are you saying? I should be nice to that bitch who wants to steal people’s boyfriends?”

 

“ _OPEN YOUR EYES_ , Phasma! We’re not together! You’re not my girlfriend, and I’m not your boyfriend!” Ben retorted before he opened the car door.

 

“Where are you going?” Phasma yelled at him. “You don’t have a cell phone, you don’t have a car, and it’s a good fifteen miles back to your house.”

 

“I’m going home!”

 

“Fine, Ben Solo, walk away from me! You’re making a big mistake. I’ll call up someone else to have fun with!” Phasma said as she slammed the driver side door.

 

He snorted and mumbled, “Hope you have fun. Remember to use condoms.”

 

It was a long way back to Carrington, but Ben fell into the long strides that he was used to when he ran track. He loosened his bow tie, telling himself that he’d ask his mom to drop it off at the Snoke's residence tomorrow. He would have liked to burn the outfit but Phasma paid for the rental tux, and it wouldn’t be very nice to stick her with the bill.

 

Occasionally, Ben had to move to the side of the road because of cars that were driving down the road but about two hours into his walk a car slowed way down. He had moved to the side of the road, and when the car didn’t move, he had waved it on. It still didn’t accelerate. He wondered if it was some crazy person waiting for him to stop so that they could run him over. It was probably Phasma.

 

After a good five minutes of the car following him, Ben finally stopped and turned around. The vehicle also had stopped and turned the bright headlights off but had the hazard lights flashing. He noticed the driver side door was open, and a dark form was standing there, occasionally illuminated by the lights. It wasn’t Phasma because the car was too low to the ground.

 

“Do you regularly take long walks in the middle of the night?” Rey Andor said after a moment had passed. “Prom’s been over for at least thirty minutes.”

 

Ben would have let out a sigh of relief, but he merely started laughing. “I—I, um, I pissed off Phasma and had to walk home.”

 

“Do you want a ride?”

 

“I can walk.”

 

“Another ten miles?”

 

Ben hung his head as he slowly trudged towards the car. Rey had already returned to the interior and was buckling her seat belt when Ben shut the door. “You don’t need to do this,” he said once he was settled in.

 

She nodded as she put the car into gear and reengaged the headlights. “I could have let you walk the rest of the way home. You could have gotten hit by a crazy girl or someone who was driving too fast—“

 

“Point taken,” Ben muttered. “Why weren’t you at the dance?”

 

“I told you I wasn't going. I went to see a movie in the city,” Rey said, glancing at him before checking her mirrors. “I was never going to set foot in that gym. Rose is on the prom committee, and she said the decorations were horrible and made out of wood. You didn’t deliver the paper today.”

 

“Yeah, I was kidnapped. What movie? Anything new and recent?”

 

“Actually, no, I went to see a viewing of Labyrinth.”

 

Ben looked at her. “What’s that about?”

 

Rey closed her eyes for a moment. “It’s a fantasy film with puppets and a guy in tights. You wouldn’t like it. We’re almost to my house, where am I taking you?”

 

“Oh, um, can I use your bathroom?”

 

There was a sigh. “Is this just some elaborate scheme that Snoke set you on to get me to do something foolish?”

 

“No, as I said, I really pissed off Phasma.”

 

Rey flipped the turn signal on so that she would turn left and Ben saw the two posts that marked the Andor's driveway. The car was quiet as it made it’s way up the hill to the garage. She didn’t open the garage, which Ben thought was strange but he’d walk home from here. Carrington wasn’t that far now, so Rey wouldn’t have to take him back. He looked up at the house as she cut the engine off. There wasn’t a single light on except for upstairs on the right-hand side of the house, and even then it was dim; there was also a soft glow around back.

 

“Your parents don’t wait up for you?”

 

She rolled her eyes and motioned for him to follow her. He had expected to enter the front door, but Rey led him around the porch to the backside of the house. This is where the glow was coming from. Small solar lamps were placed in a line that marked each step.

 

“Watch where you’re stepping, please,” Rey said as she started down the set of stone stairs.

 

Ben was quietly amazed as soon as he was at the bottom of the stairs because there was nothing but darkness and wildlife around him. He heard the hush sound of the ocean and the twinkling sounds of a creek, which was sometimes muffled by the sound of a waterfall.

 

A moment later there was a light that blinded Ben for a moment, and he turned to see Rey standing inside the house. He stepped inside cautiously and looked around the massive room. Rey’s room could have comfortably fit the first floor of his tiny home inside of it.

 

“C’mon,” she said before pointing at a door that was across the room. “Bathroom is through there and please don’t pee anywhere besides the toilet.”

 

“Hey, you’re like grouping me in with the men that aren’t trained,” he muttered before going off in the direction she pointed. He walked into the bathroom and flicked on the lights, somewhat surprised to see that the bathroom was spotless and tastefully decorated. He poked his head out of the door and took another look around.

 

Rey was sitting in a chair that looked like a huge gray bowl. She saw him looking around. “Can I help you?”

 

“You like these colors?”

 

“I like these colors, yes. Peach and gray more exactly. The beige and white are merely accent colors, so I don’t blind myself with clashing colors,” she said with a smile. It was as if she had told a funny joke.

 

Ben closed the door and in a few moments came out again after washing his hands. He looked around for Rey but she wasn’t in the room, and a door was opened, revealing only blackness. He didn’t think it’d be smart just to go walking through some house he wasn’t familiar with, so Ben decided to take a closer look around the room.

 

There was a huge bed that was against the wall where the bathroom door was; it was flanked by two white plastic tables that were very modern looking. One held an alarm clock, a lamp, cell phone, and a watch, while the other held several books. The pillows were peach with gray dots, and the bedspread was blocks of different patterned fabrics in the same colors.

 

Her floor was cement with a huge fuzzy area rug. There was so much going on in the room, but it all worked together. He wondered how women seemed to decorate and make it all look good. He walked over to where several oversized beanbag chairs sat in front of a flat panel TV sat with various game consoles underneath it. There were eight long shelves of movies and games. Ben raised his eyebrows as he saw what kind of games Rey owned. He didn’t really take her for a shoot ‘em up/beat 'em up kind of girl.

 

That really didn’t hold Ben’s interest though. It was across the room where a computer sat. Little shelves upon shelves of drawers sat on a long table with containers of what appeared to be brushes on top of them. The drawers were clear plastic and Ben could see into them, but he was quiet surprised at what he saw.

 

Nail polish, lip gloss, some black tubes; Ben opened this drawer and pulled out one of the things. Mascara?

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Immediately, Ben dropped the item he was holding which fell to the floor and turned around looking quite embarrassed as he saw Rey standing in the door to the room with two glasses.

 

“I—I—I—“

 

“Don’t worry; I’d be curious too. I thought you’d be quite taken with my selections of movies for a while that you wouldn’t notice this.” She set the glasses on the table, and Ben noticed it was water with a wedge of lemon in it.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Make-up. I own almost every product there is… well, I should say I own almost every product I like,” Rey said as she bent down to retrieve the fallen tube of mascara. “I got you something to drink. I figured you’d be thirsty after that walk.”

 

Ben nodded his head and chose one of the glasses. He hadn’t realized how parched he was until she mentioned it. Gulping down a good portion of the contents, Ben looked at Rey who was staring back at him. “Sorry. You were right.”

 

“How’d you piss off Phasma?” she asked before taking a sip of her own beverage. “And have you heard what people are saying about us?”

 

“Ah, I um, I refused to go into a motel room with her.” Ben coughed before feeling his face become red. Those brown eyebrows rose a little before Ben decided to elaborate. “Phasma thought we were together as a couple and I had to set her straight.”

 

Rey gave a short laugh that sounded like tinkling bells to Ben’s ears. “Ha, if you paid more attention to the gossip at school you’d know that no one thinks you two were a couple.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Everyone thinks we’re together.”

 


	6. Closer Than Normal

It was another Monday and Rey was in a good mood as she drove into Carrington. Most Mondays in general were bad, horrible, and awful but today the birds were singing; it was a beautiful spring morning, and she was on her way to Ben Solo’s house.

 

Late Friday night/early Saturday morning, the boy looked like he was going to have a heart attack when she told him what everyone was saying about them. He had sat down heavily on her desk chair, just staring at her for several seconds.

 

“You’re kidding right?”

 

Rey shook her head. “Nope. The latest theory is that we met online and I somehow conned my parents into moving here.”

 

“What? Are you serious?”

 

This time she had smiled. “Well, that’s not the worst one. Some people said we met online and you came out to L.A. during Christmas. I came here because I’m pregnant and it’s your kid.”

 

“WHAT?” Ben shouted then stared at her in disbelief. “That’s—that’s—that’s—“

 

“Impossible, improbable, inconceivable, stupid, moronic, unbelievable, irrational, foolish, ridiculous, absurd—“

 

“Okay! What are you, a walking dictionary?”

 

Ben seemed really stressed out by this news so Rey took him home. Ben had been quiet as she drove through the sleeping streets of Carrington and when she paused at the solitary traffic light, she turned towards him. “Which way?”

 

“I can get out and walk from here,” he had muttered.

 

“I think your legs are about dead from walking five miles. You’re probably going to be sore tomorrow so why don’t you just tell me where to go?”

 

Ben had pointed straight and then told Rey where to turn. He let himself out and went into the small house without thanking her. She had gone back home. Rey didn’t see him at all during the weekend. She was too busy planting the seedlings that were starting to sprout.

 

She brought herself back to the present as she pulled up in front of Ben’s house and beeped the horn. There was movement at one of the front windows and Ben’s face appeared. He looked shocked but the look quickly turned into a scowl. Rey shook her head; she should have known that he was going to make this difficult. She cut the engine and then got out of the vehicle.

 

She went up the walk and the few stairs that led to the porch. Just as she raised her hand to know, the solid wood door flew open, revealing Ben standing there in a pair of jeans and nothing else. He didn’t even have socks on.

 

Rey couldn’t help but stare at his bare chest. Nor could she stop when her eyes started drifting lower where a thin line of dark hair started below his belly button. She was only snapped out of this admiration because Ben cleared his throat, which made her gaze instantly lock onto his. Rey could feel the blush creeping into her cheeks and she would have liked to die right there of embarrassment. Instead, she decided to make conversation.

 

“Hi.”

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“I came by to see if you would like a ride to school,” Rey said.

 

Ben raised an eyebrow. “Are you aware that it’s only seven fifteen in the morning and that school doesn’t start until almost eight?”

 

This statement smoldered Rey’s good mood. Her anger flared and she narrowed her eyes slightly at him. “Did you ever think that time has no meaning for some people; that it’s useless?” She turned around so that she could stomp her way off the porch but a hand grasped her arm.

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

Damn, she had said too much. Rey tried to shake off his hand, but his grip was firm. “Nothing, never mind. Sorry I bothered you.”

 

Ben sighed then stepped aside, “Get in here Rey.”

 

She did as he asked her too. The inside of the house was just as she had imagined it. Quiet, cozy, and comfortable; someplace you could curl up and read a book when the wind was howling outside. Ben looked at her before he motioned for her to follow him. They went down a hall that was lined with doors when the one nearest to the end opened. Out stepped Ms. Organa, Rey’s English teacher.

 

“Oh! So, she is your mom!” Rey said in an excited voice.

 

“Uh, yeah,” Ben said as he looked from the girl to his mom. “I thought everyone knew that. Mom, you know Rey.”

 

The woman came down the hall and nodded. “Why, hello Rey. It’s a surprise to see you this early.”

 

“Oh well, I came to offer Ben a ride to school,” she replied, feeling very bashful.

 

“You’re such a nice girl and smart too. In two years, I’ve never have had a student score so high on my _Heart of Darkness_ test,” Ms. Organa said.

 

Rey began to blush again and she ducked her head so that she was looking at her feet. She tried to stay under the radar with things like that. “I was in accelerated classes at my old school. We already read that book.”

 

Ms. Organa laughed, “No shame in using knowledge you’ve already acquired. Have you eaten yet?”

 

“Oh, yeah. I had breakfast before I left my house,” Rey said.

 

“Okay, well I’m leaving. Ben make sure you eat your own breakfast and I’ll see you two in class.” Ms. Organa said before grabbing several bags. She passed the two teens still standing in the hall and headed out the front door.

 

“I think she left to give us some privacy,” Ben said before he continued down the hall. “You’d think that teachers wouldn’t listen to gossip but they do.”

 

“Pfft,” Rey said and rolled her eyes. “Teachers are just as bad as students are with gossip. Someone said she was your mom. I didn't believe them.”

 

She would have thought that they’d stop in the bright kitchen but Ben continued over to the staircase that went to the upstairs. Rey halted and looked at the boy, who was halfway up the staircase.

 

“You coming?” Ben asked, bending down to peer at her. “No, this isn’t some ploy to get you into bed or anything.”

 

Rey gave a snort of laughter and shook her head but followed him. “I wasn’t going to say that.”

 

“Yes, you were.”

 

“Okay, I was, but I can’t help it. I have a slight paranoia problem.” Rey shifted where she was standing but didn't say anything. She had been warned about the symptoms. They would continue to get worse.

 

Ben said nothing as he reached the top of the stairs, followed by Rey. She watched as he went over to his bed and started to straighten it, making sure the covers were smooth. He then went over to a clothes basket, picking up several items of clothing that weren’t inside the receptacle. Rey watched him and then began to study the decor of the room. It looked like some ten-year-old boy was supposed to be living in this small space.

 

“Have you ever thought about redecorating? Perhaps painting or new curtains?” Rey said as she glanced over at the window to see football pattern valances hanging at the top of the short window. “This room looks like it belongs to a kid, not a teenager.”

 

Ben looked at her from behind the chimney. “I don’t have the time or the resources to even begin to overhaul this room. Besides, I don’t know how to decorate it different. My mom would know but she doesn’t have the time either. She made those curtains and my quilt.”

 

Rey looked at the items and then shrugged. Perhaps, she could talk her mom into doing something for Ben. It had the makings of an urban loft. She came around the chimney and saw Ben pulling his belt through his jeans and then putting his feet into a pair of beat-up tennis shoes. Why the hell would she want to do something nice for Ben Solo?

 

“You still don’t have a shirt on,” Rey pointed out as she walked towards his bookcase.

 

Ben looked at her through the curls that fell into his eyes. He straightened up and came towards her. “Does it bother you?”

 

She opened her mouth, only to find out that words had left her. Her mouth was also uncomfortably dry because she tried to swallow. Was it hot up here? Rey felt something against her back as she retreated from Ben. Was it the wall or the chimney? Rough texture scraped against the skin of her back through her layered shirts. Laying a hand against the surface, she knew it had to be brick.

 

Ben was only a couple feet away now and Rey was searching for a way to escape the situation. Where was the staircase? He was reaching for her and she held her breath. No touch came though and his hand extended past her face, coming back into view with a t-shirt.

 

Rey closed her eyes and let out a slow breath after Ben put the shirt on his body. She opened them to see he was just inches away from her.

 

“That bothered you,” he said, a slow smile spreading across his face.

 

She rolled her eyes, looking away from him and then crossed her arms over her chest. “Immature, childish, infantile—“

 

His arms went to either side of her head and Rey turned her head back so that she could glare at him. It wasn’t working though, because Ben didn’t back down. What was he going to do? Rey started panicking and finally had had enough of this game. She ducked under Ben’s arm and quickly walked to the staircase.

 

“Why don’t you have a car?” She asked once her head was clear again.

 

“Why do you always wear your hair in a ponytail?” He asked, leaning against the chimney.

 

Rey bristled slightly. He was playing more games! “Because I don’t want it to be everywhere. Answer my question. Now!”

 

Ben shrugged, “I’m saving up for a car. Unfortunately, my mom isn’t rolling in cash and can’t give me everything I want.”

 

“My parents don’t do that!” Rey snapped. “I didn’t ask for that car or anything of things that have been given to me!”

 

He snorted and came close to her again. “I suppose that cell phone, all those DVDs, games, and makeup just fell out of the sky then?”

 

“If you had my life you’d understand why my parents try to do everything they can to make me happy,” Rey said backing up a step. “What kind of car?”

 

“My car?” Ben put his hand up to the back of his neck and rubbed it gently. “Why should I tell you? Even my closest friends don’t know I’m saving up for a car.”

 

“Because I’ll tell everyone you lied about breaking your mom’s antique mirror.”

 

“How’d—“

 

“Oh come on! If people didn’t talk the walls of the school would collapse, Ben.”

 

Ben’s features settled into a pout. Rey frowned. Why was he acting like a twit about this? It wasn’t like she asked him for his darkest fantasy or anything. “You’re being childish.”

 

It looked like Ben was going to answer but a beeping noise stopped him. He walked over to his dresser and pushed a switch on the alarm clock. “C’mon, I’m gonna eat breakfast and then we’ll leave.”

 

She could have laughed about Ben’s idea of breakfast. How many guys would eat a yogurt cup, a banana, and then throw a handful of granola in their mouths? The only thing that grossed her out was the fact that he drank straight from the milk jug.

 

“Eww!”

 

Ben wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “What do you mean ‘eww’?”

 

“What you just did was disgusting! You contaminated an entire jug of milk with your germs,” Rey replied. “What if your mom was going to cook with that tonight?”

 

He shook his head as he replaced the jug back into the refrigerator. “My mom and I drink different kinds of milk. She has her skim milk, and I usually get whole milk. So, I only contaminated my own milk.”

 

“Ugh, boys,” Rey muttered.

 

After he cleaned up his mess, Ben grabbed the backpack that he used then motioned for Rey to make her way towards the front door. He locked the door they had come out of before joining her in the car and the two made it to school in less than five minutes. It was just like the first day of school for Rey. Everyone stared as she and Ben exited her car. Ben waved to several of his friends that were across the parking lot and Rey glared at him.

 

“What are you doing?” she hissed at him as she walked to the front of the vehicle.

 

“Look, the one think I’ve learned from having to watch chick flicks is if you act normal, no one is going to say anything,” Ben said before he moved towards Rey and grabbed her hand. “Also, I want a Grand Am, 1999 to 2003 would be nice.”

 

“But this isn’t normal! We don’t ride to school together on a daily basis,” Rey complained. She stopped her words and stared at him when he gave her random information. After all of that, he decided to tell her what kind of car he wanted?

 

He cocked an eyebrow and stared at her for a moment. Ben opened the door to the school and held it open for her. “Why’d you pick me up today then?”

 

Rey would have stood there for the rest of time had it not been for all the kids in the parking lot staring at them. Her eyes narrowed at him but she hurried past him. Ben entered after her and as the door closed slowly, Rey could hear what sounded like an eruption of voices behind her. People were definitely talking now.

 

Together they walked down the flight of stairs that would put them in the basement where their lockers were located. Ben quickly spun his combination into his lock while Rey took her time. Other students were filing past them, whispering quietly to themselves, which was very different from every other school day.

 

Rey knew Phasma had to be close by so she stared straight ahead after she got her locker opened. She reached for her History and English book, which were on the lower shelf of her locker, deciding to stop by before study hall to exchange books. Carefully she stored the two books in her bag and shut the locker door.

 

She gave a little jump because it wasn’t Connix’s smiling face behind the metal door. Two crystal blue eyes were staring at her. Those same eyes narrowed as Rey backed up, running into Ben who put his hand on her shoulder. That touch steadied her balance but did nothing for the anxiety that was building in her.

 

“Phasma,” Ben said. The other girl ignored him completely, her angry eyes never leaving Rey’s face. “You don’t want to have this discussion here.”

 

“Shut up, Ben,” Rey mumbled. She wanted to glance around but by the silence her ears encountered, she knew everyone was focused on the trio. His hand slid down her arm and she felt his hand grasp hers. Rey tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach when he did that.

 

“C’mon Rey,” he said, giving Phasma a hard stare before walking around her. They made it to the stairwell before they heard the talking begin. It erupted like a violent volcano.

 

Rey was well past hyperventilating once they reached the first floor of the building. Why had she picked Ben up that morning? Did she have a death wish all of a sudden? What was Phasma going to do to her now? The first day she had book checked Rey, but now Ben was holding her hand and defending her. Something horrible was going to happen, she was sure of it.

 

“Oh, geez. Rey? Look at me. Rey! You’re not breathing!”

 

She could faintly hear her name being called as her eyes rolled back into her head. Rey fainted with Ben trying to hold her up and failing. When she came to she was lying on a soft leather couch and someone was holding her hand. She blinked several times and tried to sit up but a gentle touch restrained her.

 

“Rey, are you okay?” The female voice was very soft and soothing. “Does your head hurt?”

 

She groaned as she turned her head, trying to find the source of the words. Dark colors swam in her vision and she gave up lying back on the comfortable surface. “I’m fine, just a little woozy.”

 

“Dr. Kanata, Rey’s parents, are here,” a sweet voice said. “I’m going to send them in.”

 

The door clicked open, and the hand holding hers was gone, but Rey heard the soft scrape of chairs going across the carpet. She opened her eyes to see her mother’s worried face bending over her.

 

“Mom?” she asked, eyelids falling down.

 

“Hi, honey. The school called us because you passed out. You weren’t breathing again,” her mom said, her voice full of worry. “Rey, you should really start taking the medication. I know it won’t help but we can help battle these symptoms.”

 

Rey opened her eyes again and then turned her head. Her mom sat at her head, her father down by her feet and Dr. Kanata was in the middle of them sitting. She sat up despite her mother’s complaints; the anger was clearing the fog from her brain. “Medicine doesn’t work!”

 

Dr. Kanata looked just as worried as Rey parents did. “May I ask what Rey is being treated for?”

 

Her parents looked at each other before looking at Dr. Kanata. Rey could see that they didn’t want to answer so she decided to speak. “I have FFI. I can’t sleep.”

 

“She has familial—“

 

The brunette nodded solemnly. “I’ve heard of FFI while in college, there were case studies of it. It intrigued me and I worked in a psychiatric hospital before coming to Carrington, there was a patient there with FFI. I’m sorry, I can’t imagine what you go through Rey.”

 

Her father cleared his throat. “We have medication for her symptoms but she refuses to take it. Over the past couple of weeks since we’ve moved here, her anxiety levels have gone up, and it just seems like everything is getting worse.”

 

The girl looked at her father like he was incredibly stupid. Why was he telling this woman this? She was not getting worse.

 

“Rey, did you sleep last night?” Dr. Kanata asked and then said nothing as Rey shook her head. “Is it normal for you to hold your breath until you faint or pass out? Did something upset you this morning?”

 

The spotlight was on her now because all three adults were looking at her, expecting an answer. She turned so that her feet touched the floor. Once she was settled, she gave a sigh. “When I get upset, it happens a lot, I hyperventilate and my lungs just seize up but I’m fine now. I just want to get back to class.”

 

Because she was curious, Rey glanced down at her watch. The hands were sitting in positions, which surprised her. “Is it really fifth period? I’ve been out for—“

 

Dr. Kanata nodded. “You’ve been asleep for several hours, but during the last hour you began to toss and turn. I decided to call your parents because you started crying and almost screaming.”

 

Rey’s shoulders slumped and she gave a huge sigh. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to be so stressed out that she was screaming. It happened when the FFI showed up. The stress of school, activities, friendships, and home life had piled up. She would wake up at night screaming and crying. That was one theory Rey had on why the disease she had had shown up. Something about the amount of stress in her life triggered something in her brain. She decided to change the subject because she didn’t want to think about it anymore.

 

“Ben—“

 

“Mr. Solo alerted us to the situation, it is why you’re here. He mentioned some trouble with Phasma Snoke this morning,” Dr. Kanata said. It was more of a question than a statement.

 

Rey was given a few minutes more before Dr. Kanata dismissed her to finish her day, but her parents stayed behind in the office. She figured that the three adults were going to have a long talk.

 


	7. The Moment Everything Changed

Ben had been pretty miserable since that morning. Everything was going well and then Rey passed out in his arms. He had to yell to get some attention but that brought students out of classrooms, looking at him with surprise on their faces. Dr. Kanata came to his side almost immediately and together they lifted Rey up and took her into his office. He had hovered for a while before the Doc had written him a note to his first period class.

 

“Is she going to be okay?” He had asked in a worried tone before he left the principal’s office.

 

Doc had told him that she didn’t know and that it'd do no good to stay in her office. Ben left slowly, trudging down the hall like his feet were stepping through concrete that was hardening. Now, it was lunchtime and Ben picked at his pizza, which really didn’t look appetizing in the first place. His friends sat around him talking about various things but he didn’t participate like he normally would. It wasn’t until Hux said something to him that he talked to anyone.

 

“So, you and Andor? Is she any good?” Hux asked him as he plopped into the seat next to him with a tray loaded with food.

 

Ben looked at him and gave a snort of disgust. “How do you manage to stay in shape when you eat that much junk?”

 

Hux laughed with a mouth full of food. “Dude, it’s easy. You need to lift weights, that’ll get you on the team this year. You got soft last summer. We needed you to get to state.”

 

Ben nodded vaguely and went back to picking his pizza into little pieces. More people sat around him until the seat across from him was empty. That was until Phasma sat down with her bagged lunch. He briefly glanced up at her and sighed. He knew she was going to start in on him.

 

Phasma opened the bag, setting out the contents on the table: a granola bar, an apple, a bottle of water and finally, a peanut butter sandwich. She then looked at Ben, smiling. “Does someone smell tuna?” She sniffed, “Hmm must be a residual smell coming off of Ben. Tell your girlfriend to bathe more often.”

 

He rolled his eyes as everyone laughed. Everyone thought that Phasma was so superior and untouchable. Ben would set her straight soon. He tossed down the rest of the pizza that was in his hand and stood, picking up his tray.

 

“Aww, Ben’s leaving. You better be careful Ben, you might catch something from Andor. Internet whores, you’ve never know where they’ve been,” Phasma called out as he stomped away from the table.

 

He left the cafeteria after dumping his tray and went down to his locker. Anger flowed through him and he just wanted to tear someone’s head off. With a growl, Ben punched a locker, leaving a slight dent in the material. It took him three tries to get his locker open, having put the combination in wrong.

 

“Her parents just came into the school,” a quiet female voice said.

 

Ben looked around him and saw the girl that talked to Rey during her first day. He vaguely remembered her name; it was Rose. _Rose Tico_? Why was Rose talking to him? He decided to go with the first name. “Hi, Rose. How do you know her parents just came here?”

 

The girl raised an eyebrow. “I was in the office asking about her when Polly said they’d called her parents. Well, Mr. and Mrs. Andor walked in five minutes later. I think Rey is awake. There was talking going on behind Kanata’s door.”

 

Ben bit his lip. Could he get away with skipping Chemistry to see if Rey was okay? He didn’t think Miss Foster would appreciate it, but he had been worried.

 

“Thanks,” he said and grabbed the books he would need for the afternoon from his locker.

 

“I’m sorry, too.” Rose moved away from him at a slow pace, and Ben caught up quickly.

 

He fell into step with her. “What do you mean?”

 

“For Phasma making your life hell because you rejected her this weekend. She sent a text message to almost everyone saying that you admitted to her on prom night that you were gay,” Rose shrugged and started going up the stairs. “That’s why you wouldn’t sleep with her. Well, when you got out of the car with Rey this morning, she kind of flipped out in the parking lot because Alaine called her a liar. You should really see how you and Rey look.”

 

His brow creased and Ben swallowed. How did they look? Why was it such a big deal what they looked like? “I don’t get it,” he murmured.

 

Rose stopped once they were on the first floor. “I’ve got Physics with Allen but you two look like you’re in love. A smile on faces and eyes bright. You know all that romantic stuff your mom makes us read. Shakespeare. Anyways, I’ve got to go. I hope you get to see Rey today.”

 

Ben’s mouth dropped open and it took him a moment to find a coherent train of thought. _WHAT_? Why would anyone think that? He at most considered Rey a friend and she probably considered him a pain in the rear end. He watched as the Asian girl walked away and quickly went upstairs to the second floor to the chemistry lab. He went directly to his seat at the middle table in the middle of the room.

 

He sat with Hux and Dolpheld Mitaka, another football player. At the other table on his right was Alaine, some girl named Connix and a bigger kid that sat at the outcast table. At the left table sat Phasma and two other girls. Rey sat directly in front of him; no one he was friends with wanted to take the seat between Brain and Lovey. Rey had though, she even talked to them every day, laughing at something Lovey said or debating with Brain about what would stop global warming.

 

Kids were drifting in, talkative from lunch or intramural activities, but as it got closer to fifth period starting, Rey still didn’t show up. He slumped down in his seat, wishing the day would already end.

 

“Andor is a hot piece of ass, Solo. Nice choice but I’d still go with Phas. She’s got a nice set of tits on her,” Dolph said as he set down his books and sat beside him.

 

Ben groaned and crossed his arms, laying his face down on them. Why wouldn’t it quit? Why did people care so much about two people riding to school together or just being seen together? He knew if he didn’t say anything that the whole situation would escalate and he really didn’t need that right now. “Dolph, c’mon she’s—“

 

“Does she go down?” This question came from Hux who was looking at Ben with a devious expression on his face. “Phasma said you’d left her because you were like old Lovey up there but I knew you and Andor had something going on.”

 

“It’s not like that!”

 

“Ah, she’s a friend with benefits,” Hux raised his hand for a high five and Dolph slapped his hand hard.

 

Ben lifted his head and glared at the two boys. “No!”

 

The entire class was silent and everyone turned to look at Ben. His remark must have been louder than he thought. Miss Foster, who stood in front of the room pointing at something on the board looked at him through her glasses.

 

“Something wrong, Mr. Solo? I do believe that this is the correct way to make—“

 

“I wasn’t disagreeing with you, Miss Foster; Dolph asked to copy my homework,” Ben said then smiled. It was forced, and he hoped that the teacher would buy the excuse.

 

The teacher smiled back and then shook her finger at Scott, “Mr. Mintaka, practice makes perfect, so no copying!” The woman turned back to the board and started explaining whatever today’s lecture was about and the boys returned to harassing Ben.

 

“Solo and Andor, sitting in a tree. F-U—“

 

“I bet she doesn’t weigh anything. You could push her up against a wall—“

 

“Stop talking about her that way!”

 

“Why?” his friends asked in unison.

 

“BECAUSE SHE’S MY GIRLFRIEND!”

 

Ben knew that had been loud. He knew he was going to pay for that remark too. His face flooded with heat and he put his head down on the table. Everyone in the class was looking at him. He could handle that until the door opened and in walked the very person the two idiots sitting on either side of him had been talking about. Ben wanted to die when people started giggling.

 

He peeked through the curls that were falling into his eyes to see Miss Foster taking a note from Rey and then the girl taking her seat before giving him a strange look. He shook his head and mouthed the word ‘later’ to her. Yeah, he wanted to die right about now.

 

“Mr. Solo, if you’re done with the declarations of love, I’d like to continue,” Miss Foster said before giving him a mean stare.

 

“I’m done.”

 

The class was entirely too long for Ben and when the shrill bell rang, he slowly gathered his things. Rey waited for him and they walked to the library for study hall. After they signed in, Ben led her to the farthest table away from anyone, behind a shelf.

 

She looked worried, and after she sat down Rey said, “I’m okay—“

 

“I told everyone that you were my girlfriend—“ There was a fraction of a second pause before Ben heard the sharp slap of skin against skin. The next moment was the pain that began blooming in his cheek. He stared at Rey after the bright spots of light faded from his vision. How did a tiny girl like that hit so hard? “What was that for?”

 

“What the hell is your problem telling everyone that? You had no right!” Rey hissed at him. “You can use your own feet to walk yourself home.”

 

Ben continued to stare at her in disbelief. “You don’t understand! The things people were saying about you…me... and us. I had to do something, to say something. I got angry.”

 

Rey remained silent getting out her chemistry book and a worksheet they had due tomorrow. She continued to be quiet until it was time for seventh period; Ben decided to try again in explaining it.

 

“I’m sorry, but Mintaka and Hux were being perverted morons…” Ben began but quickly trailed off as Rey glowered at him.

 

“If you want to talk to me you can meet me at my car after school,” Rey stated before she went off towards the Art department.

 

Ben finished his day and walked to his locker after eighth period. He saw Phasma standing in front of his locker. He took a deep breath and let it out as he approached her. “What?”

 

“Ben, darling, we got off on the wrong foot today. You’re my friend and you’ve been my friend since we were little,” Phasma said as she brushed something off his shoulder. “We need to discuss this and I realize this morning wasn’t the best place to do that.”

 

He laughed, wary of the girl's tone. “Phasma Snoke, are you apologizing?”

 

She gave him a stern look before answering. “I will if you’d follow me. I don’t want to pour my heart out to all these people.”

 

Ben nodded. He didn’t trust Phasma but he did feel the need to hear her out. She had been a long time friend and they shouldn’t let their friendship be ruined by a misunderstanding. He was going to forget the fact that she had let him walk five miles in the middle of the night and told lies about him. They passed by Rey and Rose walking down the corridor. Ben shrugged his shoulders as he passed the girls and went into the cafeteria with Phasma.

 

The moment they were out of sight Phasma practically pinned him against the wall with her body. Her hands were on his hips, pushing his shirt up. “Ben, why are you going to let someone you met on the Internet come between you and your friends?”

 

Swallowing, he tried to stop Phasma by grabbing her hands, but they were too quick. Why did it seem her hands were everywhere?

 

“Phas, stop this—“

 

She attacked him with her mouth cutting off his words. Her full glossy lips captured his and he tasted the hint of strawberries. Ugh, he hated strawberries. Ben would have pushed Phasma away but her mouth hit a spot on his neck that made him shiver. How long had he been in here trying to fend off Phasma? Would someone come looking for him?

 

“Oh!”

 

Both Ben and Phasma turned their heads to see Rey standing in the doorway of the cafeteria, staring at them with a hand held up to her mouth. Ben didn’t need to know that the girl had seen what was happening and was making her own assumptions. He didn’t even try to stop Rey as she ran out the door. As soon as she was gone, Phasma stepped away from Ben. He glared at her back as she left. She was being a total bitch and knew that she had done some damage.

 

The week passed in utter misery again and when Saturday came, Ben decided to go running to burn off some energy. He needed to get rid of the tension and anger that he had held onto since last Monday. Rey still wouldn’t talk to him and he knew not to even bother with trying to explain. He jogged through town with just his shorts and shoes on, moving past the center of Carrington. Stores went by and he turned the corner just a block away from the docks to the small park where the trail was that led along the cliffs.

 

Every property in Carrington that was on the coast had donated just a small portion of land to make a trail that circled the town. It was part of some kind of get healthy and exercise thing the mayor was implementing. Some people used it, but Ben knew the group that used it the most was the track team. Four and a half miles of asphalt lined the tree-lined trail. In some places the trail wound deep into the woods while other parts were close to the ocean. It was quite a beautiful place but he wasn’t worried about the beauty of his surroundings.

 

His footfalls gave him his tempo and Ben fell into the easy stride of running. Ben must have gone only one and a half miles into the trail when he heard the sounds of dogs barking and someone yelling. Slowing his pace, he eventually came to a stop in the middle of the trail, hands on his hips and breathing hard.

 

“—wie!”

 

The faint voice sounded familiar but Ben couldn’t be sure it was Rey until he saw a fluffy dog bounding towards him. He braced himself but the dog slid past him and then trotted up to him, wagging his tail. Ben crouched down to give the dog a good scratch behind the ears. “Where’s your Rey, Chewie? Huh? Where’s mommy? Go get her!”

 

The dog barked twice and quickly turned around twice before sitting down. Ben stood and sighed; dogs were supposed to be smart so why wasn’t this one going back to his owner? The answer came a few seconds later when Porg showed up. He wasn’t as friendly as Chewie because he barked at Ben and then maintained a distance from the boy.

 

“Porg? Where’s Rey? Go back to her. Get away from me so I can finish my run!” Ben said, motioning for the dog to go away. The dog stared at him for a moment before he came alert. It was somewhat closer now and Ben thought he heard the words Porg and Chewie. “C’mon boys, let’s go.”

 

Ben began to walk at a slow pace but gradually quickened his steps so that both dogs were trotting on either side of him. Occasionally, he slowed to allow for the dogs but Ben tried to keep his steps steady. The trail began to trail sharply inward and Ben figured that he must be well into the Andor's property now.

 

“Chewie! Porg!”

 

It was definitely Rey but she still was a bit away from where Ben was. The two dogs stopped, instantly darted off to the left into the woods. He cursed and went after them; it was all he needed was for the dogs to get injured while they decided to go off on a wild goose chase. He lost sight of the dogs but his muscles burned and sweat dripped off him, but Ben kept on going until he ran into something, falling to the ground.

 

No, not something. Someone and that someone happened to have brown hair. He lay on the foliage for a moment to catch his breath before he stood up slowly. That was a hard hit to take. He looked over to make a joke but Rey was on her knees, gasping. Ben quickly got to her side. Helping her, he gently pulled her up until she was standing.

 

“Thank—thank you, although you plowed into me like a semi-truck,” she panted then put her hands on her waist. “What the heck were you running that fast for?”

 

Ben stared at Rey. She wasn’t wearing her customary t-shirt and jeans but a tank top and above the knee length shorts. She had amazingly skinny but muscled legs and nice sculpted shoulders and arms. Her hair was down and her face was slightly pink. He smiled at her, “I—uh—the dogs.”

 

“The dogs?”

 

“Yeah, about half a mile back they went onto the trail and stopped my running. I was bringing them back to you but they disappeared into the woods,” Ben said. “I was trying to follow them. What are you doing out here? If you wanted to go walking in the woods, there’s the path.”

 

Rey looked around then laughed. “This is my property, which you’re trespassing on again. I can go anywhere I want.”

 

“But why would you be this deep in the woods?”

 

“I was following the creek.”

 

Ben nodded, “Yeah, I know that creek. It spills into a pond then the pond must have some draining system into the rocks because I think it goes all the way out to the ocean.”

 

Immediately, the look in Rey’s eyes brightened. “Could you show me where this is?”

 

Again a nod. The two went off in the direction Rey had come from and once they reached the small stream of water, Rey gave a sharp whistle. The two dogs she owned automatically appeared from the brush and followed her. It took only seven minutes and Ben pointed to the tree that spanned the creek when they finally arrived. The water flow went from a calm flat stream to a small waterfall and then spanned out into a pond.

 

“Wow,” Rey sighed in amazement. Ben watched her studying the clearing as if she had never seen anything more beautiful. She pointed down at the stream. “Look, at the way the wind and water cut an overhang but the way the creek goes down all of a sudden must be man-made. This tree must be old but it’s sturdy.”

 

She stepped out onto the tree and carefully made her way across until she was standing in the middle of the fallen tree. Rey motioned for Ben to follow her. He looked at the tree and then to where Rey now sat. There was only five feet from the tree to the creek’s surface but it was really hard to tell how deep the creek was, the crystal clear water was deceiving.

 

He slowly crawled his way out to where the girl sat and made sure the place he was sitting was flattish before he settled down. Ben looked out at the forest just as Rey was doing. After a few moments, he began to get antsy because of the silence.

 

“Rey?”

 

“Shhh, I’m listening to Mother Nature,” she breathed. She was sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, head tilted slightly up. There was an absolutely peaceful look on her face. A small ray of sun hit her hair and it lit up as if someone had tossed a match into a puddle of gasoline. Ben was speechless for a moment, his breath taken away by the beauty of the girl.

 

“I know, and I respect that but don’t you think we should talk?” Ben asked just as quietly as she spoke.

 

Rey turned on the log so that she was facing him. Her eyes opened and Ben could see they were a light hazel today. “If you want Phasma that’s fine. I really don’t care what you two do. I didn’t come here to get involved in everyday petty politics of high school kids.”

 

“Is that why you wouldn’t talk to me all week?” Ben asked as he shifted so that he was facing her, his legs on either side of the log. “Why did you come here? There are a million of other towns out there. Why here and why in the middle of April? If you had come in September we could have—“

 

Rey raised her eyebrows at this and held her hand up. “We are not having this discussion because I do not like you. You have been nothing but a pain my butt.”

 

Ben took her hand into his letting his fingers lightly rest between hers. Could he tell this girl how he was feeling? How did he feel? There was no one in Carrington that he had ever gotten angry over or felt the need to defend. Of course, he liked her; she was funny and witty. Rey was his friend... At least in his mind she was one. She was smart and beautiful. Rey didn’t feel the need to be a bitch to others. He cleared his throat. “We are having this discussion because I do like you. I like the disruptions you’ve caused in my life.”

 

He reached forward and cupped Rey’s cheek, and she gasped quietly. Had she ever had a relationship? Why did she sound so surprised when Ben touched her. Could Ben do this? He was only going to brush his lips against hers, but as he was closing the distance between him, he felt Rey touch his shoulder.

 

There was a splash and Ben jumped from the chilled water. “What the hell! Geez, this is cold!”

 

He looked at Rey sitting above him, laughing and Ben stood fully up. All it would take was one jump and he could pull her into the creek. He did just that, grabbing the girl’s ankle and yanking. She gave a scream before falling into his arms. He wasn’t ready for the weight and Ben fell back into the water. Another high-pitched scream came from Rey as the cold water soaked her clothes.

 

Ben quickly swam away from Rey, moving towards the middle of the pond. He laughed as she emerged from the creek and glared at him. Her clothes were plastered to her body and she didn’t look very amused. She took several steps into the pond before diving under the surface. Ben watched as she took several perfected strokes towards him and then glided the rest of the way. The girl broke the surface, as a movie star would, water cascading down her.

 

Rey wiped the water from her face and Ben noticed that her hair was much darker when it was wet. “You know when I pushed you in I thought you were the one in need of a cold shower,” she said as she squeezed water from her curls. “And stop staring at my chest.”

 

His eyes immediately went from where they were to the surface of the water. He was guilty as charged but he was going to deny it. “I wasn’t looking at it,” he said. “Why don’t you stop looking at my chest?”

 

“If you had a shirt on it’d be a lot easier,” she replied. Ben took a step closer to her, grabbing Rey’s waist. She looked up at him. “What?”

 

“Do you want to go out with me?”

 

“Why do you want to make my life a living hell? You know if I say yes, Phasma will do just that,” Rey continued to stare at him.

 

Ben would have tried to kiss her again, but two massive splashes made cold droplets fall onto their skin. Porg and Chewie were paddling their way towards them.

 

Rey laughed before scolding the dogs. “You two mutts! I’m not going to give you any treats when we get home!”

 

He took advantage of the distraction, pulling her closer and sinking down into the water. It was somewhat uncomfortable, but the cold water was numbing. “Are you going to answer me?”

 

“Yes. Maybe.”

 


	8. The First Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, they kiss so I guess this would be semi-slow burn bc IDK if they're gonna get down like that.

Rey and Ben were practically inseparable during the last two weeks of school. They sat together during all the classes they had but Rey refused to sit with his friends at lunch and Ben was always herded to the table he’d been sitting at for the past three years. The glares from Phasma were horrible at first, but Rey just glared back twice as hard. Now school was over, graduation was done, and it was a hot Memorial Day. Every store and establishment in Carrington was closed, and it seemed like everyone was at the big park that was near the beach.

 

It was where Rey was walking around with Ben, Rose, Finn, Hux and his girlfriend, Hayley. It seemed like everyone from their school was there running around and getting into mischief. She looked around at all the stands and booths. Shop owners had brought their wares to the people, and there were food vendors. It smelled like a fair, the scents of waffle cones, hot dogs, and lemonade permeated the air.

 

“Is it always like this?” Rey asked as the small group stopped at a food stand.

 

Rose shrugged. “It depends on what the weather is like, y’know? Though this has to be the best turn out ever.”

 

“Anyone want a funnel cake? I just ordered like two dozen of them,” Hux said. The only person who accepted one was Rose. “I like this girl, Andor. She eats junk.”

 

There was an indignant snort from Hayley and Hux turned towards her. “Oh c’mon babe, you know I’m joking.”

 

The sophomore just rolled her eyes and then gave Rose a dirty stare, which the now senior chose to ignore. Rey smiled at her friend then the grin became wider as Ben slung his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her along, and she let him until they stopped at one of the ice cream vendors.

 

“I’d like a vanilla waffle cone and—“ Ben looked down at Rey. His look told her to be quiet and just pick something.

 

Was he going to buy her ice cream? She quickly looked over the menu. “I’ll have a hot fudge sundae, please, and no nuts.”

 

Ben said nothing as he pulled out his wallet handing the man behind the counter a bill. The man gave Ben his change and then turned away making their order. Soon, the teenagers had their ice cream and started walking towards a bench so that they could sit down and enjoy the cold treat. At least Rey would have enjoyed the ice cream had someone not ran into her, sending it into her chest.

 

She gasped as the cold hit her shirt but then as the entire thing slid down her torso, she looked up to glare at the person. A groan escaped from her as she saw Phasma Snoke, appearing shocked. The girl was holding a huge cup with a straw in it, her mouth hanging half open.

 

“Oops, I’m sorry.”

 

Ben stepped forward, and another unfortunate event happened which made Rey disregard Phasma’s apology. Several people from the high school came running past them, and someone reached out and pushed Phasma. The girl stumbled forward, and the drink she had in her hand came towards Rey, the lid coming off. Red liquid splashed all over Rey. It was cold, and it was dripping down her shirt-covered stomach and was dripping from her shoulders.

 

“Oh, man,” Phasma said as she straightened. “Wow, looks like you’re going to have to go home and change. Hope you can make it back before the fireworks start.”

 

Rey’s eyes narrowed further, and her hands balled into a fist. She just wanted to jump on Phasma right there and attack her. Ben had taken her hand and was dragging her away. She didn’t know what she had done to Phasma, but the girl was going to pay for everything she was doing to Rey.

 

The two reached Rey’s car where it sat in the parking lot that was between the beach and the park after Ben got rid of his ice cream cone, citing if Rey couldn’t enjoy the treat neither was he. She was sure that Ben could tell she was angry. He let her go for a moment to open the car door for her, and she started stomping off towards the festivities again. Rey was sure that the sight of Ben running to bring her back to the car was hilarious.

 

“Rey, you can’t go after Phasma,” he said as he sat down in the driver’s seat. Ben pulled her into his lap.

 

“Why the hell not? Look at what she did!” Rey gestured to the nice new shirt her mom had bought for her. It was a pale yellow cotton eyelet tank top that went so well with her green, blue and yellow plaid shorts. It was covered in chocolate, vanilla ice cream, and the red liquid. There was nothing that could be done to save it.

 

Ben hung his head before looking at Rey, his expression serious. “Do you know why Phasma gets away with some of the stuff that she does?”

 

Rey shook her head.

 

“Her dad’s family kind of created Carrington. The story goes that they were freed slaves and when the war was over they settled here. Then the Ersos came—“

 

“Erso? That’s my mom’s maiden name,” she said.

 

“Well back in the day the Ersos came to Carrington, and they built the first school, town hall and other things. They had money, old money. The Snokes got their money from their farms and orchards they owned. Anyways, Phasma’s family has been in charge of this town since it was built,” Ben said. He paused for a moment before dropping the bombshell on her. “Her dad is mayor and every time someone runs against a Snoke, they lose.”

 

Rey’s face pulled into a frown. “Are you saying she’s untouchable? That she’s doing all this stuff to me and I can’t do anything?”

 

Ben nodded as he stroked her hair and hugged her. “I know something that will cheer you up. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

 

Rey raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he set her back on her feet and went around to the trunk. He motioned for Rey to pop the trunk lid and she was quite surprised when he pulled out a picnic basket and a blanket.

 

“A picnic? We could eat here, but you brought me a picnic?” Rey said. “Aww, that’s so sweet.”

 

They walked hand in hand to the beach, and Rey waited as Ben picked out a spot. She was sure that it was just the perfect place away from the other people enjoying the weather. There were people sunning themselves, kids building sandcastles and several other families enjoying lunch. Rey sat down once the blanket was laid on the warm sand and she waited as Ben opened the basket. She gazed around the beach, expecting it to look much like the beaches in L.A. There was no trash, glass, dead fish, or other nastiness around. The water was deep blue, the sand a natural beige. There were several fishing docks at one end while huge rocks stood at the other end.

 

The wooden docks were tall enough that you could walk under them if the tide wasn’t too high. Waves hit the rocks sending sprays up to the sky. Rey didn’t have to imagine the cool and brisk saltiness to the air. Closing her eyes for a moment and enjoying everything she felt, Rey was at peace. Her parents had picked the perfect place for her to live out her last months of life.

 

Nature was everywhere, and it was beautiful. Something cool touched her arm, and Rey opened her eyes to see that Ben had the entire picnic spread out and was handing her a bottle of water. There were several different containers of food: vegetables, fruit, bread and cheese, and nuts. There was not one piece of meat in sight, and Rey could have kissed the boy. She had let it be known that she didn't like eating meat all the time.

 

“I know why you weren’t really eating the food at the festival. Rose told me that you only eat organic, healthy stuff.”

 

"Why did she tell you that?" the girl asked.

 

"Because I asked."

 

Ben ran his hand through his hair and then offered Rey a paper plate before opening containers. "She said you were really earth conscious, didn't eat meat--"

 

Rey interrupted him. "I try not to eat meat. Sometimes I like fish or chicken, but I really don't like eating red meat."

 

"Yeah well," Ben stopped for a moment to pick up a couple of pieces of cheese and bread. "Rose said that you were basically a health freak and you love the Earth or something."

 

Rey laughed and patted him on the head. He was so cute for someone who was so clueless at times. He handed her a fork before helping himself to the goodies in each bowl. Ben had brought carrots, radishes, green peppers, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers in the vegetable container. The fruit one held whole strawberries, blueberries, slices of peaches, chunks of pineapple and orange sections. The bread was whole grain as she could see the entire seeds trapped inside their doughy prison, and the wonderful cheese was provolone. He hadn't brought just nuts, but toffee covered walnuts.

 

"You know, you look pretty cute sitting there in that top. Too bad Phasma ruined it," Ben said after he took a bite from his cheese sandwich he had made.

 

She glanced down at her shirt and felt the flames of anger starting to burn again. How she wanted to find Phasma and clobber her. It'd be satisfying to give the other girl a black eye. She put down the plate she held in her hand and started unbuttoning her shirt.

 

"Rey? What are you--" Ben's words were cut off as Rey brought the shirt over her head.

 

"What?" she asked folding the stained fabric. Rey had known she was wearing a bikini top, but Ben didn't. She figured she would wear one because she knew the beach was close by the park. Today was a perfectly good day to try out the water in the small bay. Besides with Ben around her, Rey never knew when she might accidentally go swimming.

 

"Oh, thank god." Ben breathed.

 

She laughed. "Did you actually think that I'm dumb enough to just take off my shirt and show these people my chest?"

 

"No, I didn't think that but--"

 

"But what?"

 

"Ben shook his head and stood. He offered Rey, his hand, and she accepted it. He wrapped his arms around the girl. "I was just worried that someone else might think that. I like it. It's more of you I've seen since you've been in Carrington."

 

Rey tried to breathe calmly as Ben tilted her chin up. She knew this would happen eventually and had accepted that fact. She had zero experience with boys and hoped that Ben wouldn't notice. Just as their lips were inches apart, someone delayed them.

 

"Ben!"

 

The pair quickly separated just in time for Ben to catch a football that came flying towards him. Rey was glad about the fact that they broke apart because a few seconds later, Ben was tackled.

 

"Ben!" she shouted after he landed in the sand, voice filled with worry. "Are you alright?"

 

"Aww, Andor, Solo is fine, aren't you?" Hux said as he helped his friend up.

 

The boy dusted sand off his clothes before pushing Hux, who stumbled across the picnic blanket, knocking over containers and stepping in food. Rey groaned as more kids showed up. After a few minutes, the males had organized a game of football and Rey decided to clean up the mess that Hux had made. She saved what she could and then threw away the rest of the mess in a trash can. She came back a few moments later and shook the sand from the blanket. Everything was replaced into the picnic basket.

 

She walked to her car, stowing the basket away in her trunk, surprised as she saw another bag in there. It was Ben's backpack. She eyed the bag for a moment before closing the trunk and walking back to the beach. There were a group of girls sitting down and watching the game. Rey saw Rose was there sitting beside a greasy paper bag. She trotted towards her friend and smiled as she sat down.

 

"Where'd Hayley go? You'd think with Hux playing she'd be down here," Rey said as she looked around.

 

"It seems that Hayley was getting fed up with Hux and so she dumped him," Rose said, turning to glance at Rey. "So he and I walked down here. Finn saw Poe and a couple of others and went off with them."

 

"Hayley dumped Hux?"

 

Rose nodded. "He said she wasn't good for him. She was always watching her weight and would nag him for eating so much junk that she couldn't have."

 

Rey chuckled. The things that normal teenagers had to deal with. At least none of them had to deal with a looming death that was months away. The happy feeling drained away, leaving Rey feeling exhausted.

 

"I love how you dare to wear hot pink with your complexion. You're like a modern-day rebel with an I don't care attitude, and that top is cute," Rose commented, as she opened the greasy sack. "Where'd you get it?"

 

"Oh, in L.A," Rey replied as she watched Ben darting between people. He must have had the ball because people were trying to chase him down.

 

"What happened to that yellow shirt you were wearing?" she asked. The Asian girl offered Rey a funnel cake.

 

Rey shook her head and watched Rose take a bite. "You'll love this. Phasma ran into us, literally."

 

Rose rolled her eyes which made Rey smile. Her friend could always cheer her up.

 

The game ended almost an hour later with Ben's team winning by a single goal. He came jogging up to Rey, grinning.

 

"Eww," she whined, once he got close enough to her. She scooted away as he tried to pull her up from her seat in the sand. "You're all sweaty."

 

"You've got a bathing suit on..."

 

"And?"

 

"That stuff in your hair made it sticky..." Ben said, still grinning. "We should go swimming!"

 

He kicked off his shoes and stripped off his t-shirt. Rey bit her lip trying to decide if she should actually take off her shorts. She saw most of the other kids stripping down to shorts or bathing suits, and she slipped off her flip-flops. Some kids just ran to into the water and waded or jumped in. There were shrieks and laughs. Rey sighed as she unbuttoned her shorts to reveal the bikini bottoms.

 

She walked to the edge of the bay, just too where the waves lapped onto the shore, tensing as a wave hit her feet. The water was cool but nothing like a couple of weeks ago where the pond had been so cold it had numbed her hands. She stood where she was before deciding to just jump into the water.

 

It was too late though. Just as she lifted her foot, Ben came from behind her and lifted Rey up, throwing her over his shoulder. A scream came from her throat as he jumped, taking her with him. The landing wasn't her best seeing as she entered the water butt first and as soon as she surfaced, Rey splashed Ben.

 

It was several hours later that they left the beach, carrying their dry clothes to the car. Ben had opened the car door and popped the trunk only to surprise Rey again by handing her a towel. Rey eyed the towel before she took it. She was grateful that she could actually dry off. The water had a cooling effect on the skin, and it made her shiver.

 

"When did you put all of this in here?" Rey asked as she squeezed the water from her hair and then quickly running the towel through it.

 

"When you were chatting with my mom," Ben said as he pulled his shirt back on.

 

She looked at him before crossing her arms over her chest. "Did your mom know about the picnic and swimming?"

 

"I dunno. She said nothing as I gave her a list of things to buy. She didn't comment when I asked her what blanket I could take or where the picnic basket was," Ben replied.

 

"So, she knew," Rey muttered.

 

"Yeah, she knew," Ben threw his towel into the trunk after he dried his own hair and waited for Rey to finish with hers. "She also told me to bring this."

 

With a flourish, Ben pulled a plain white t-shirt out of his bag; it was clean and dry and not as revealing as the bikini top she wore. Rey snatched it out of his hands and put it on.

 

"Why did she tell you that?"

 

"The woman knows how messy I can be," he said, smiling. "You hungry? Nien has fried chicken plates, but there are other things, like a burger or catfish."

 

Rey gave him a look, but her stomach growled loudly. Ben's smiled became wider, and she glared.

 

"C'mon, one helping won't kill you."

 

No one helping of sinfully delicious food wouldn't kill her. There was something looming on the horizon that was much more deadly. Once Rey's car was locked, Ben led the way to Nien's stand. A round lady behind the table smiled at them. She had short gray hair, a pen and pad in her hand and a clean apron on.

 

"Hey Bess," Ben said cheerfully to the lady.

 

"Ben! What can I get you and your lady friend?"

 

"I'd like a fried chicken plate and--"

 

"Catfish, please."

 

"A catfish plate. Do you want anything to drink?"

 

"I was just about to ask that!" Bess said. "I think Wilbur is making a fresh batch of lemonade. Wil is the lemonade ready?"

 

A man answered, and Ben nodded his head. "We'll have two of those too. Large."

 

"Okay, give us a few." The woman turned after she had written down the order and within minutes, Ben had two Styrofoam containers of food and Rey had the drinks.

 

They found a picnic table that wasn't occupied or too dirty and sat down with their food. Rey frowned as she opened the squeaky box. The smell was delicious, and she couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the amount of food. There was a pile of French fries, a heaping serving of coleslaw, and half the container was taken up by catfish nuggets and the tartar sauce cups. There was enough food here to feed several people, and there was no way Rey was going to eat all of it in one sitting. Ben had begun to dig into his food and sipping his lemonade. She was picking through the meal when her parents walked up with two dogs in tow.

 

"Rey! Ben! Are you having some of Nien's great food?" Her dad said as he sat beside her.

 

"Yeah," she replied, scooting the dish closer to him. "Have some because I can't eat all of this."

 

Her mom laughed and sat down beside her father. "Ha, that man can't eat another single bite. We had two plates about an hour ago and then your father had to try out the pie."

 

"I'm stuffed," her father groaned.

 

"So, what are you two up to? Going to stay and watch the fireworks?" Her mom asked, picking out two pieces of fish for Chewie and Porg.

 

"Honey, don't feed them anymore. Those two have been begging offa everyone around. Most of the vendors have given them treats!" Her father gave the dogs and his wife a stern look

 

"Yeah," Ben said after he took a long pull from the straw. "Fireworks, then Rey is going to drive me home, and then she's going home."

 

The parents nodded and Ben smiled. Rey was glad that her mom and dad liked Ben. They had no idea that the two were dating; she had told them they were just friends. "Are you guys going home then? Could you take this?"

 

Rey quickly closed the carton of food and handed it to her mother. The woman smiled and pulled her groaning husband up. "Don't be out too late Rey. Tomorrow you've got to weed the garden, and we're going to the grocery."

 

The girl nodded and watched her parents walk off with the dogs. Ben was finishing his food when Rey sighed. He raised an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything as he chewed. She was glad because she wasn't really in the mood for conversation. The heaviness that filled her earlier was back.

 

"You okay?"

 

"Yeah," Rey replied. “Just not used to being around people.”

 

Ben went over to the trash can ignoring the look she gave him as he threw away the Styrofoam. He motioned for her to get up and follow him. They walked towards town and turned so that they were headed towards the docks. They both still were drinking their lemonades and holding hands. It wasn't fair, Rey thought as they strolled down the street. Ben found a bench that was in front of Wilson's Barber Shop, and he sat down, patting the seat next to him. The docks were about a block down, but Rey was content just to sit there, watching the sky slowly turning a deeper, darker color. They sat in complete silence. It was dusk when Ben sucked the last of his drink from his cup then shook the glass. The ice rattled, breaking Rey out of her thoughts.

 

"Are you finished?" Ben asked, pointing to her cup. Rey nodded and handed it to him. He stood and trotted over to the trash can that was across the street then came back to where she sat. "C'mon, you don't want to miss the fireworks."

 

His enthusiasm wasn't infectious, but Rey managed a smile as they walked out onto the concrete and wood surface of the dock. There was no one around except for a man who was still fishing in the failing light. Ben grabbed her by the waist and pulled Rey to him. He smelled like a man, something that was hard for her to describe but it brought her some comfort. Salt, sweat, grass.

 

His hand came up, gently tilting her chin as he leaned down for a kiss. This was going to be it. Lightly, his lips brushed against her's at first before becoming more, Ben's mouth against hers. Her knees got weak, and Rey briefly wondered if she would have the strength to keep herself upright. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her hands tangled the hair at the nape of his neck. Ben pressed closer against her not allowing an inch between them. Rey had imagined what this moment would be like and it was even better than her thoughts. The way their lips fit together and their bodies molded to each other.

 

It was a kiss that she had been hoping for all day.

 

A kiss she had been hoping for all her life.

 


	9. A Golden Opportunity

Rey drove slowly through Carrington’s streets after the festival ended. The dashboard clock showed that it was almost ten o’clock. She stopped in front of Ben’s house and cut the engine. They sat there for a moment in silence. She would look at him and blush. Ben thought it was adorable. He reached over, kissing her gently, letting his thumbs slide along her jawline.

 

She pulled back first, taking a deep breath. “Thank you for the wonderful day.”

 

“Thank you for tolerating me,” he replied, in a low tone.

 

They kissed several more times before the front door to Ben’s house opened showing the silhouette of his mother. He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled at Rey before exiting the vehicle. Ben didn’t even say anything to his mom as he ducked past her. He really wanted to get into the shower and then get to bed. He had a feeling that his dreams were going to be pleasant ones.

 

It was the next morning, and the phone was ringing. Ben had no clue as to why the phone was ringing, but it was waking him out of a dead sleep. He was taking a nap on the couch like he always did after he rolled the papers he had to deliver. He raised his head listening for sounds of his mother in the house.

 

There were none, so he rolled off the couch, hitting the floor and slowly straightened from a crouch. Ben stumbled to the kitchen where his mom kept the cordless and picked it up.

 

“’lo?” He mumbled into the handset.

 

“Ben Solo, please?”

 

“This is him. Can I help you?”

 

“Name’s DJ Breaker. A little bird told me that you’re in the market to buy a Grand Am. I’ve got a black one, 2003 that’s sitting in my driveway. I’m letting it go for cheap because I’m getting divorced and it’s my soon to be ex-wife’s. You interested?”

 

Ben scrambled to find a piece of paper and a pen to take down Mr. Breaker’s information and thanked him before hanging up. Wow, it was just what he wanted, and now he could get it? What were the chances of that happening? He picked up the phone again, dialing Rey’s number when she walked into the back door with his mother.

 

“Ben, you’re up! Good,” his mother said. She was carrying a basket with some flowers. “I wanted you to go to the hardware store and see if they’ve got any mulch. I think black would look nice. Also, the new door is in so, I was going to have you pick that up.”

 

The boy looked at his mother and blinked several times. He just woke up, couldn’t she at least let him become coherent? He stumbled to the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup after he took one from the cupboard. The warm liquid was refreshing and a welcome to his dry mouth after his dreams.

 

Chocolate hair and eyes, mouth as soft as silk and skin as fair as a perfect rose bloom. He turned around with the mug of coffee halfway to his lips when he noticed her sitting in one of the kitchen chairs. Ben smirked at him, liking the way Rey blushed. Her cheeks turned soft pink, resembling strawberries that had been drowned in fresh cream.

 

“Uh, Mom?” Ben said after he had drunk half of the coffee.

 

“Oh, and Ben, a man named DJ Breaker called earlier—“

 

“I know, I know. I’m gonna go look at it,” he replied.

 

His mother smiled, little lines appearing around her eyes. “Well, I hope it is what you want. I asked him how much he wanted. Ridiculous, I tell you.”

 

Ben’s hope for the car immediately plummeted as soon as his mother said that. Was the price so high that he wouldn’t be able to afford it or was it so cheap because there was an expensive repair needed?

 

“You only want five hundred dollars?” Ben asked in total disbelief an hour later.

 

Rey, his mother, and Ben were standing in DJ Breaker’s driveway in front of a massive blocky and modern house. They had driven thirty miles away to look at the car. Breaker was a fat man in his twenties, with a sleazy mafia-sounding accent. He had a double chin which shook every time he laughed or spoke. He smoked cigars, drank cheap whiskey, and sold cars for a living.

 

To Ben, he looked like an utter greaseball in the stained blue shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbows and the loosened tie. The car he was selling had been a gift to his soon to be ex-wife. She had left it in the garage after leaving him, so Breaker decided to sell off some assets to pay for the divorce.

 

“Look, kid, five hundred. It has low mileage, has been kept in the garage here while my Porsche has sat outside in the elements. It has new tires, a banging system with a CD player, and has never been smoked in to my knowledge. Lucy loved this car, begged me to buy it for her. She rarely drove it though,” Breaker said, with the cigar in the corner of his mouth. “Occasionally, she’d take it for a spin, but you’re not going to find a car like this for that price.”

 

“Mr. Breaker—“ Rey said politely after clearing her throat.

 

“DJ, please doll. Mr. Breaker makes me sound like my old man.”

 

“DJ then, I think Ben is trying to convey that he thinks the price is too low,” the girl said. Rey’s expression was very lady-like, and her tone was professional.

 

Ben knew he was going to buy the car, but he couldn’t help feeling that Rey was right. He felt like he was ripping the guy off.

 

“I appreciate you looking out for me kid, but I tell you, the only one getting screwed in this deal is Luce,” Breaker took the cigar out of his mouth so that he could toss his head back and laugh as if that statement was funny. The chortle started out normal and then turned into a hacking cough. “Sorry. Anyways, whatcha say kid?”

 

Ten minutes later his mom was pulling out of the driveway, with Ben following behind her in his new car. The windows were down, and the radio was on playing some song. They were halfway home when Rey reached over and switched the radio off.

 

“So, you like your car?” she asked.

 

Ben nodded, “It’s awesome! I can’t believe it has less than seven thousand miles on it. That lady was insane never to drive it.”

 

“How did you find out about this one?”

 

“That’s the craziest thing! He called me. I totally wasn’t expecting to find my car this soon. He said a little bird told him about me,” Ben replied. He glanced over at Rey who had a big grin on her face. “You gave him my number, didn’t you?”

 

“My dad found him,” she said. “It’s the least I could do.”

 

“What?” Ben’s speed slowed considerably.

 

“C’mon, Ben. Do you honestly like riding around on your bike?”

 

“Not really but I paid for that bike by myself.”

 

“Do you like having to go home when the sunsets because your mom is afraid someone will hit you out on my road?”

 

“No, because I can’t spend that much time with you.”

 

“That’s why I asked my dad to find your car. I like spending time with you. You make me laugh.”

 

The rest of the trip was spent in silence as Ben contemplated the information Rey had given him. Did she really care that much about him to find his dream car? She had even gotten the color right. As Ben pulled behind her car which sat in front of his house, he made up his mind. He was going to take Rey out to a nice place for dinner. She deserved a proper date.

 

The two got out of the car and stood by the trunk of Rey’s car. She looked down at her feet, “I’ve got to go home because Mom wants to go shopping. She always buys me the wrong things, so I have to go,” she said, kicking at a rock that was by the back tire.

 

“Okay,” Ben nodded. “Do you mind if we grab a bite to eat later?”

 

She shook her head. “No, what time?”

 

“Around five, I think. I have a surprise for you,” Ben said as he walked her to her car door, opening it and then like a gentleman closing it after she was inside. He briefly kissed her before she drove away.

 

Late that afternoon, Ben pulled up in the Andor’s driveway surprised to see Mr. Andor outside watering some plants near the garage’s walkway and the dogs rolling around in the grass. He got out of his car with a bouquet of roses and a hundred dollars in his pocket. The man turned and looked at Ben, his eyebrows raised.

 

“Is there a reason why you’re in a tie and have flowers, Ben?” Mr. Bridges said before turning the hose off.

 

Ben could feel the heat starting to enter his face, but he told himself he was going to keep his cool. Parents were no problem at all. “Um, I’m taking Rey out to dinner, sir. I hope you don’t mind.”

 

The older man shook his head. “Rey told us about you two—“

 

“Dad!” The female voice was sharp behind the two males, and both turned to see Rey standing on the sidewalk with her hands on her hips. She was wearing a spaghetti strap black knee-length dress with hot green leggings and flats. She had chunky black bracelets on each wrist and a sweater she carried over her arm.

 

Ben smiled as soon as he saw her. Her outfit was wild, but she certainly looked stunning in it. He stepped towards Rey and held out the bundle of flowers. “I didn’t know…”

 

“Flowers? A bit much, Ben,” she replied but took the gift. “I’ll be back. Mom’ll love to put these in a vase.”

 

The two watched the girl leave, and Ben shifted his weight. The silence was becoming uncomfortable because it felt like Mr. Andor was trying to burn a hole in his back by staring. To his relief, Rey came back moments later with the sweater on and took him by the arm.

 

“You two be careful and cautious, please.” Mr. Andor shouted as they got into the car and started down the driveway.

 

“So where are you taking me?” Rey asked once they were on the road.

 

“To Giada’s. It’s a nice Italian place,” Ben answered. “See, the guy who owns it is from Italy, and he opened it about ten years ago after his wife died. He named the place after her.”

 

“That’s sweet and kind of creepy.”

 

Instead of going into the center of Carrington, Ben turned so that he was heading out of the small town. Giada’s was about a mile out of town. The salmon brick building, with its Tuscany architecture, sat in the middle of a natural clearing. There were parking spots on either side of the building, a small patio and garden out front.

 

He parked near the entrance and quickly got out so that he could open Rey’s door. He then offered her his arm, and together they walked into the restaurant. A man was standing behind a podium, looking at them.

 

“Name?”

 

“The reservation is under Solo.”

 

The man quickly scanned a book that sat on the stand. “Ah, yes, Mr. Solo. Your table for two is ready.”

 

After the man raised his hand and snapped his fingers, a waiter appeared and showed the pair to their table that sat near one of the windows. It was covered in a deep yellow table cloth and a small stained glass candle holder where a votive candle burned.

 

“What can I get for you tonight for a refreshment?” the waiter asked, a smile on his face.

 

Ben looked at the man’s face and thought the cheeriness was false but didn’t say anything. Instead, he said, “Coke, please.”

 

“And for you madam?”

 

“Uh, I don’t drink stuff like that… Um…”

 

“Would a glass of mineral water with a slice of lemon be satisfactory?” the man said, interrupting Rey’s statement.

 

The girl smiled and nodded. “That would be fine, thank you.”

 

He wrote everything down on a small pad before handing them two menus. Ben opened his, and for a moment he started panicking. The prices were so high! How did his mom afford to come here every year on his birthday? He put his hand in his pocket to make sure that he had brought his wallet. It was there in his back pocket, folded and loaded with two fifties.

 

Even if the place was expensive, Rey deserved to be taken out. She saved him a good chunk of change today. He had been expecting to spend at least six thousand dollars on his car, and he had almost that much in his savings account. Ben could get his own school clothes, shoes, supplies and even get something for his mom.

 

“What are you grinning about?”

 

Ben was snapped out of his daydream by Rey’s words. “Oh, nothing important.”

 

The two were silent as they looked over the menu. It was five minutes later when their drinks were sat down in front of them along with a basket of breadsticks. Ben had been expecting to hear a man’s voice, but his eyes darted up to look at the face when the server spoke.

 

“What can I get you—“

 

“What are you doing here?” Rey asked in a sharp voice. She had put down the menu and was glaring up at Phasma. Ben dropped his menu on the table.

 

“It’s called a job, Andor.” Phasma flipped her hair over her shoulder before rolling her eyes. “I work here. Are you going to order something?”

 

“No!” Rey shrieked. “You’ll do something to my food!”

 

“Rey—“ Ben started. He wasn’t in the mood tonight for this. All he wanted to do was have this little date with Rey and perhaps go see a movie.

 

“You know I’m right, Ben.”

 

“Is there a problem over here?” It was the man from the podium.

 

Ben could have groaned because he must have noticed the commotion going on. He gave the man a small smile and said, “We’re fine.”

 

“No, we are not!” Rey said automatically after him. “I’d like a different server. This one is rude.”

 

Ben slapped his forehead as the man nodded and led Phasma away. “Why couldn’t you let her do her job?”

 

Rey’s posture stiffened as he spoke, “Because, I saw that she had talked to our original waiter. She handed him something before going back into the kitchen. She brought me warm tap water with lemon juice in it!”

 

Ben studied the glass she was pointing at. There was no ice in the cup, and there were little particles floating in the glass. It looked like Rey was right and he was going to tell her so, but their original waiter came back to take their order. They were left alone once again.

 

It was this quiet time between the two that he noticed something very unusual. The tines of Rey’s fork kept moving, and he watched as she kept arranging the utensils so that they were straight and close together. Ben also noticed that her eyes kept darting around the room as if she was searching for something. She did each activity several times before her gaze came to a stop on Ben.

 

“What?”

 

“Do you normally fidget like that?”

 

“Fidget?” Rey asked her voice implying that she was irritated. “I don’t fidget.”

 

Ben rubbed the back of his neck. “But you were positioning your silverware just so and—“

 

“I. Do. Not. Fidget!” Rey stated, enunciating each word very clearly.

 

He looked away from Rey and saw the waiter coming towards the table with a tray of food. The young man served them their food, giving Ben the gnocchi and alfredo that Rey ordered and setting his lasagna down in front of the girl. He quickly corrected the mistake and then set down two bowls of salad drenched with some kind of dressing. Ben assured the man they would notify him if they needed anything then dug into his dish as the guy walked back to the kitchen.

 

There were just sounds of the other diners, people murmuring and melodic sounds of metal hitting ceramic, Ben observed that Rey was just pushing around the pasta that was on her plate. He chewed the bite in his mouth and took a drink of soda before saying, “You know that would taste awesome if you actually ate it.”

 

Rey’s eyes flashed to his, narrowing into slits. “Has it ever occurred to you that someone who doesn’t like me might have done something to my food? Like spit in it or—Ugh, never mind that thought. It makes me sick to my stomach.” The girl pushed her plate away from her and crossed her arms over her chest. “I should have gotten the red sauce.”

 

Ben couldn’t help but stare at Rey like she was out of her mind. After a moment when she didn’t acknowledge him, he glanced around the restaurant to see Phasma and several other employees of Giada’s peeking out from the kitchen. He glared as a smirk spread slowly across Phasma’s face before turning to look at Rey. She was staring straight at Phasma, but she was paler than ever, and her breathing was irregular. It reminded him of the incident that happened at school where Rey had passed out.

 

His brow furrowed and Ben held up his hand to signal that he was ready for the check. The man hurried over, an equally concerned look on his face. There was some surprise on his face as he saw the two full plates.

 

“Was everything alright tonight, sir?”

 

“It was fine. Here,” Ben said, taking one of the fifties out of his wallet and handing it to the man. “Keep the change.”

 

Despite the man’s protest, Ben stood and went over to Rey’s seat so that he could pull her to her feet. He then guided her form through the maze of tables and out of the restaurant and to his car. He dropped the keys on the pavement and then fumbled with them. Finally, he slid the right key into the lock on the door. Rey gripped his shoulder as he coaxed her into the seat. After Ben shut her door, he jotted over to the driver seat, sliding smoothly behind the wheel.

 

It was almost quiet as Ben pulled from the parking spot and onto the road back towards Carrington. Rey was mumbling as she sat in the passenger seat, rocking back and forth. He sighed as his car rolled to a stop at the traffic light. Ben flipped the turn signal to the right as if to go to his house. He would have turned, but Rey stopped him.

 

“I want to go home. I want to go home!” She pleaded in a ragged voice.

 

Ben did as she asked, turning left instead. It was silent as he pulled into the driveway because it was uncomfortable. As soon as he was stopped near the garage, he turned towards Rey, gently touching her shoulder. She flinched and let out a choked sob.

 

“What’s wrong, Rey?”

 

“N-n-n-no-nothing. It's nothing,” She stammered.

 

“Are you sure? If you tell me what’s wrong I can help fix it,” Ben said.

 

For being so tiny, Rey’s voice filled the car as she screamed, “NOTHING IS WRONG! YOU CAN’T FIX IT! LEAVE ME ALONE!”

 

Ben could do nothing but blink in surprise as Rey ran from the car. He could have gone after her, but Mr. Andor came to the door and waved at Ben which he took as a dismissal. Slowly, he drove back home, confused and upset that the evening hadn’t turned out the way he wanted it to. He entered the house after parking his car and saw his mom sitting on the couch engrossed in watching a movie, crocheting while her eyes were glued to the screen. He plopped down beside her and loosened the tie he wore.

 

“Hi, honey,” his mom said before putting down her project and turning the TV off. “You said you’d be late so I didn’t make anything to eat.”

 

“’m not hungry,” he grumbled.

 

His mother turned to study him. A worried expression crossed her face, and she put an arm around her son. “What’s the matter? You look like someone just dumped you.”

 

Ben sighed. “I think Rey did. She freaked out and screamed at me.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“I took her to Giada’s, and Phasma works there. You remember how Rey freaked out at school and she passed out? Well, she was breathing funny, like that day, so we got out of there.”

 

“Okay, but what made her upset?”

 

“I dunno. Phasma triggered it. Something about her sabotaging her food,” Ben replied. “She was acting weird, like fidgeting.”

 

Leia had her mouth open to say something, but the phone rang. Ben jumped up, slipping from his mom’s embrace. “I’ll get it,” he said.

 

He trotted into the kitchen to pick up the phone and Ben cleared his throat before saying, “Hello?”

 

“Ben! Kid! It’s Pete, you know, your boss?”

 

“Yeah, hey, Pete. What’s up?”

 

“Ah, kid. You’re fired.”

 

“WHAT?!”

 


	10. Worst News Ever

The girl sighed as she dug up another weed. It was too early in the day for her to be sweating like this. It was actually too early for anyone that could sleep to be up. She didn’t know anyone who was in their right mind that would weed a garden at six in the morning. Her hard work was paying off though.

  
The nine squares of dirt were now nine squares of lush new growth. Each square held three different fruit or vegetable and was watered three times a day; once with plant food and twice with cold water. Rey was so engrossed on stabbing the weeds that encroached on her garden that she missed the sounds of the car in the driveway. She was startled when she saw two feet encased in sandals across from her. Her gaze moved over the person’s legs and torso arriving at the face. Her eyes narrowed.

 

“I thought I told you to leave me alone,” Rey grunted before standing.

 

Ben shrugged, “Yeah, well. I thought you were kidding.”

 

She raised an eyebrow. He sounded like he was in a foul mood. “Don’t you have papers you should be delivering? What’re you doing here?”

 

“Ah, my papers. I got up this morning out of habit. I was up at four this morning, and there were no papers because I got fired last night,” the boy answered.

 

“Sorry.”

 

“What happened last night?”

 

Rey rubbed her forehead which left a smudge of dirt on it. What had happen last night? Everything had been fine until she saw Phasma then panic welled in her throat and anxiety which she had not felt until school ended reappeared. Paranoia settled in after that, and it had all been too much. Rey had just wanted to go home where she was safe. Phasma could never hurt her here.

 

It was a silly sight when Rey had walked in the door. Her makeup ruined by her tears and she was almost hysterical. Her father had wanted to go out and yell at Ben, but it hadn’t been his fault. Her mother handed her a pill and Rey took it dutifully. A while later she found herself lying in her bed, watching _Mulan_ with a dog on each side of her. She couldn’t tell anyone how she got there, but she remained where she was until Chewie got up and wanted to go outside.

 

“I don’t know,” Rey said after a long pause.

 

Ben let out a huff, apparently displeased with this answer. “What do you mean you don’t know?”

 

Her shoulders slumped, and she said, “It’s hard to explain. I just can’t blurt out what’s wrong because I have to think of how to word it.”

 

The door behind her opened and Rey heard her name. The girl turned around and looked. It was her mother. She had opened one of the doors that led into the house.

 

“Yeah?” Rey called out.

 

Jyn’s face appeared. “Oh, hello, Ben.”

 

“Hello, Mrs. Andor. You look lovely this morning,” Ben said, waving.

 

Rey couldn’t help but roll her eyes as her mom blushed. “Morning Mom.”

 

“Breakfast is ready. Will Ben be joining us?”

 

The boy glanced at Rey who shrugged. “I guess,” he answered.

 

“Excellent, I’ll see you two inside in a moment,” her mom said before closing the door.

 

As soon as they were alone again, Ben focused his attention back on Rey. “Are you going to answer me?”

 

“Why is it important for you to know?”

 

“Because I want to be able to help you.”

 

Rey sighed; this was going to be harder than she thought. She turned and went inside the house, not caring if Ben was following. The boy was, and Rey could tell that he stopped to gaze around the first floor. Anyone who walked into the house would be distracted.

 

Her dad was at the stove, putting eggs on a platter and her mom was getting stuff out of the refrigerator. There were four glasses sitting on the counter and Rey knew that there were bagels and fresh fruit on the table. Her mom handed her the juice pitcher and Ben the glasses.

 

“Please put these on the table and have a seat,” the woman said in a cheery voice.

 

The teens did as they were told, but Ben looked at Rey, confused. “Where should I sit?” he asked.

 

“You can sit next to me. My parents always sit side by side,” Rey replied. She hunched further down into the chair.

 

“I thought you hated me,” he said yanking the chair from its position.

 

“I don’t hate you. I just can’t tell you.”

 

“Why not? It’s not like you have some incurable disease—“

 

The look on Rey’s face made him shut up automatically, which was a blessing because her parents walked in with the rest of the food. Her father’s mouth was a hard line as he gave everyone some eggs but said nothing as breakfast began. She took some fruit, and a whole grain bagel then wrinkled her nose at the eggs. Her father liked somewhat soft scrambled eggs, and Rey detested them because of the texture, but she ate them anyway.

 

“Your father and I are going into town today. We have some business at the Snoke residence. They want some silly pool, garden, and pool house designed while I’ll be getting some ideas for it,” her mom said after sipping her cup of coffee. Her breakfast plate was almost empty.

 

“The Snokes’?” Rey asked, almost choking on the piece of pear she was chewing on.

 

Ben gave Rey a whack on the back. “I’ve heard Mayor Snoke has wanted something like that for a while,” he said after Rey’s coughing fit.

 

“I’m also going to be redoing their daughter’s bedroom. It’s a birthday gift. I should take you along Rey. I bet you’d have fun.” Her mother smiled at her while Rey stared at her like she was stupid.

 

If Rey could have given her mother a bitchy glare, she would have. There was no way in hell that she was going to go willingly into Phasma Snoke's domain. “I don’t think so.” 

 

“Ah, well your loss. I hear Phasma can be quite charming.”

 

Rey gave a snort. Her father started picking up dishes, and she told them to leave them there, she would clean everything up. Ben chimed in saying he would help which only rewarded him with a hard stare from the man.

 

As soon as Rey heard the door shut, she jumped from her seat, grabbing her parents’ dishes. She walked into the kitchen putting the plates on the counter next to the sink. Turning around, Rey gasped in surprised as she saw Ben was standing right behind her, carrying the rest of the empty dishes.

 

Her breath hitched in her throat for a moment as Ben stared intently at her. She felt a blush creeping into her cheeks. Why was he looking at her? “I never noticed how dark your eyes are,” she said after a minute passed without a word from him.

 

“Yours change color. I think it depends on what you wear, your mood, and the weather but they’re mostly brown with lighter flecks,” he replied.

 

Rey nodded, trying to dispel the butterflies that were dancing in her stomach. “Can you go get the rest of the stuff off the table? When we’re done, I’ll go kick your butt at a video game.”

 

She watched Ben walk into the dining room. She turned around so that she could begin rinsing the dishes and placing them in the dishwasher. The boy bothered her several times asking where various things went so she had to answer his questions. After that chore was done, Rey let the dogs inside the house and fed them.

 

The girl motioned for Ben to follow her and she left the kitchen to where a flight of stairs was in the entrance hall. She led him down a set of stairs into a dark hallway with three doors interrupting the smooth wood wall.

 

“How come you live in the basement? This house is huge. Surely there are more bedrooms upstairs,” Ben commented as Rey opened the door to her room.

 

“I pace a lot.”

 

“You pace a lot?”

 

“Yeah,” she said before walking over to the shelves where she kept her games. “What game do you want to play? I’ve got about any system.”

 

He shrugged, “I dunno. I don’t play video games often, just when Hux or someone else comes over. Ladies’ choice.”

 

Rey froze where she stood as Ben walked up behind her, placing his hands on her hips. He drew her closer so that their bodies touched. She remained very still for a few seconds, trying not to squirm out of his grip.

 

“Are you ever going to answer my question, Rey?” Ben said. His mouth was close to her ear, and his breath tickled the skin, making her shiver.

 

“Perhaps.”

 

“Your parents aren’t here—“

 

Rey automatically pushed Ben away and picked out the goriest and scariest game she had and shifted over to the entertainment center where her TV was. She bent down to put the disc into the console.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Ben, you’re my first boyfriend and my first kiss. I don’t want to have to castrate you, okay?” Rey said, standing up and turning to look at him.

 

“You’re kidding, right?” he asked, taking a seat on the floor in front of the TV.

 

Rey looked at him as she jumped into one of the huge bean bags. She would never understand boys. “No, I’m not.”

 

“But you’re gorgeous! How could you not have a boyfriend before me? Did the guys out in California not have eyes?” Ben’s expression was one of disbelief.

 

She shrugged, “Dunno, wasn’t really interested in anyone. I just know I wanted to go to college and start my career. I kept myself so busy with activities, sports and my studies that I didn’t have time for anyone.”

 

There was a long silence between them as the game started and after Rey had killed her tenth zombie, Ben spoke. “You wanted to go to college? What changed?”

 

This was the opening that Rey had been waiting for, a foundation for explaining what was wrong with her. She put down the controller and turned the system off, not bothering to save her game. Walking over to the windows, Rey stared out into the forest. Did she have the strength to tell him this?

 

With a deep breath, she decided to ask questions first. “I seem normal, right?”

 

“Yeah, why?”

 

Rey went over to her bed and flopped down. “You go to sleep every night, right? Can you imagine not ever sleeping?”

 

“Like having trouble sleeping? Sure everyone does. I don’t think anyone in our class slept the night before the S.A.T.,” Ben said with a chuckle.

 

“No, it’s more than that,” Rey sat up and folded her legs. “What if I told you that I don’t need a bedroom? That this entire thing is a farce?”

 

She could see the bewilderment cross his face, making his forehead wrinkle up. He was definitely confused, Rey could tell. She held up a hand. “Let me try again. Have you ever heard of FFI?”

 

“Is that a band?”

 

“No, you’re thinking of AFI.” She paused for a moment, biting her lip. “What about fatal familial insomnia?”

 

Ben’s head shook back and forth slowly. “I know what fatal means and I know what insomnia is. Does familial mean inherited?”

 

Rey nodded only once. Hopefully, Ben was a smart boy and would figure this all out on his own. If he did that, then she wouldn’t be responsible for potentially scarring someone for the rest of their life.

 

“Why are you telling me this? Is it just useless trivia?”

 

This time Rey shook her head. It took several seconds for understanding to dawn on the boy, and if she could, she would have erased the look on Ben’s face. It was horrified, the blood had drained, and his eyes were wide. She tried to swallow but found there was a lump in her throat. Her words were faint, “I have FFI.”

 

“You’re going to die?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“When?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“How?”

 

“I don’t know,” she repeated. Rey was jolted as Ben jumped up from where he was standing. He started pacing back and forth across the room, making little indignant noises. She remained where she was at in the middle of the bed.

 

He threw his hands up finally and halted his steps. “So, you’re going to die and you don’t know when or how?”

 

“It doesn’t matter to me.”

 

“It doesn’t matter?!” Ben’s voice became louder, and anger graced his features. “Why’d you tell me if it doesn’t matter?”

 

“Because you wanted to know what happened to me last night. The symptoms of FFI in the first stages are panic attacks and paranoia. I’ve also been told that I could develop some phobias.”

 

“Stages? There are stages? What does that mean?” Ben practically shrieked, running his hands through his hair. “Does that mean you’re going to get worse?”

 

Rey sighed and shook her head. This wasn’t how this was supposed to be. Why couldn’t he just understand? “Yes, I’m going to get worse. The next stage just involves hallucinations and the panic attacks are more frequent and noticeable.”

 

“You mean what happened last night wasn’t noticeable? What about when you fainted in school?” he huffed. “I think those were pretty noticeable, Rey.”

 

She could feel her temper becoming shorter as Ben spoke. This wasn’t her fault! She never once had asked for this disease. If it were up to her, it would be someone else would be dealing with this and she would still be living in California. She could be surrounded by beaches and blue skies not trees and bitchy high school girls who thought they owned everyone. Rey clenched her teeth, hell-bent on not saying anything to Ben.

 

But the boy wouldn’t let it go. “When were you going to tell me? Who else knows about this?”

 

“Rose knows I’m sick. That’s all I told her,” Rey replied.

 

“And?”

 

“And what?” She finally snapped at him. Rey stood walking over to where Ben stood and looked up at him since she was shorter than him, glaring.

 

“You weren’t going to tell me were you?”

 

“No.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because the statistics of teenage relationships lasting longer than a few weeks isn’t very high,” Rey fired back at him.

 

Ben dug into the pocket of his shorts and withdrew his keys. “Fine.”

 

“You’re leaving?”

 

“Yeah, I’ve got to get my own chores done. Thought I’d work on that today instead of trying to have a relationship,” Ben said sarcastically.

 

She didn’t try to stop him as he walked out of her bedroom and tromped up the stairs. Hearing the front door slam, Rey slumped to the floor, feeling exhausted again. She stayed there until an hour later her phone started ringing. She slowly crawled over to her bedside table to pick up the device. “Hello?”

 

“Rey! Omigod! I have some news for you!”

 

It was Rose, so Rey had to act somewhat interested and happy. “Oh? What?”

 

“Yeah,” the girl squealed. “I was hanging out with Hux last night playing video games and eating pizza. Phasma texted him…”

 

“And?”

 

“She got Ben fired from his paper route!” Rose replied. “How horrible is that? Can you believe her?”

 

Rey’s mouth dropped open. “Holy shit. Ben—“ her voice died down as she remembered what happened with him. “I’ll tell Ben when I see him again.”

 

“I believe you need to tell me about the date you had with him last night because I heard that’s what set Phasma off.”

 

Rey laughed and began telling Rose what happened, omitting the bad parts.

 


	11. Almost Caught

A week had passed before Ben saw or talked to Rey. He had sulked and brooded for several days because of the fight with the girl, and his mom had noticed. By then he had calmed down enough to figure out he was being stupid but she had made him so angry by not caring about her life. He was also angry because he had fallen for this girl. He cared for her and wanted to be with her. Ben couldn’t tell Rey that though.

 

He was absolutely smitten with her.

 

And she was going to die.

 

He did as much research as he could about her condition, trying to comprehend what was going to happen in the coming months. It sounded like an excruciating way to die. As Ben understood it whatever part of the brain that controlled sleep was slowly hardening, making sleep damn near impossible for Rey.

 

So, the second week of summer vacation he was spreading mulch under his mother’s rosebushes, and she came walking by with Chewie and Porg. The dogs greeted him enthusiastically while Rey stood awkwardly with the dogs’ leashes in her hand. He nodded at her, and she gave him a small smile.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Hey,” she replied blushing slightly. “How’re you?”

 

“I’m good, you?”

 

“Eh, considering all things, I’m okay.”

 

Ben smiled faintly. “So you walked all the way into town?”

 

“Oh no! Mom wanted something from one of the shops, so I came along and brought the dogs,” Rey explained. “I thought it’d do them some good to relearn some doggie manners.”

 

He nodded and turned to see where the pair of canines had gone off to. Porg was lying on the porch, his head resting on his huge front legs. Chewie was the problem. “Chewie, you brute! No peeing on my mom’s roses!”

 

The girl giggled and then whistled at the dog. “Chewie, come here.”

 

The dog turned and peered at Rey before sitting on the ground and letting his tongue loll out. She scowled at him before saying, “Dumb dog.”

 

There was a moment of silence between the two as they looked in different directions. It was at the same instant that they both turned back and spoke. “I’m sorry.”

 

Ben chuckled while Rey shook her head. “Me first,” he said as he patted Chewie’ huge head. “I’m sorry for being an ass and not understanding. I—“

 

“It’s okay, really. I’m sorry I haven’t called or came over. I’m also sorry for getting angry at you. I was going to tell you, but there’s never a right time to tell someone that,” Rey said quietly.

 

“I know,” Ben said wiping his hands on his jeans. “Do you want to come in? I’m sure we have some juice or something.” She shrugged but followed Ben into the house. He led the way through the living room and down the hall to the kitchen. The dogs followed him. Rey was reluctant, but she came inside anyway.

 

“Oh, you’ve installed the new door!” Rey exclaimed. Ben smiled and nodded as he made his way across the kitchen. “It really brings this room alive. I bet your mom was thrilled with the results.”

 

He walked to the refrigerator and opened the door. Rey was right behind him because he kept seeing flashes of brown out of the corner of his eye as she peered around him.

 

An arm flew between his body and the door, a finger extended towards a container with dark liquid inside. “Cranberry juice!”

 

He grabbed the juice bottle and pivoted only to run into Rey. She hadn’t moved fast enough to get out of his way. Her hands pressed against his chest. It was as if someone had poured molten lava into his bloodstream. He put the bottle on the counter top beside the refrigerator and grabbed Rey’s wrists puller her closer to him.

 

In their short relationship, they hadn’t touched much besides holding hands and the occasional hug. So Ben was surprised that Rey was helping him by standing on her tip toes, but he still had to lean down to kiss her. His arm wrapped around her back; the other tangled into the stray hairs that had escaped the messy bun at the nape of her neck. He could feel her hands on his arm and then glide down his chest. Ben broke off the kiss so that he could back his girlfriend against the counter and then lifted her so that she sat on top of the surface.

 

“Ben,” Rey whispered, panting as she tried to catch her breath.

 

“Your lips taste like vanilla,” he murmured. “You even smell different.”

 

Rey smiled and rested her forehead against his. “I bought new shampoo and body wash. I get tired of using the same old products over and over.”

 

He moved his head so that he could nuzzle the spot beneath her ear, breathing in the scent of her hair. “Is that vanilla too?”

 

“Milk and honey, actually.”

 

“Yummy.”

 

Rey laughed, throwing her head back. “Down boy. Your mom could walk in and catch us. That would be really embarrassing.”

 

“You’re no fun,” Ben pouted, running his hands up her sides. “So, are we okay now?”

 

Rey looked surprised for a few seconds before nodding. “You’ve got to understand some things though. My illness is a secret because I don’t want people treating me differently. Two, my choice to not care about or treat my condition is my decision. It’s how I’m dealing with this. If I think about this in the way that everyone expects me to, I’ll fall apart.”

 

“Do you sleep now?” Ben asked as she paused.

 

“Yes, sort of. I don’t sleep for long periods of time, two hours at max. Then I’m up for a while,” Rey shrugged as if it made no difference. “Why?”

 

Ben shook his head, “No reason. Just curious.”

 

He leaned in to kiss her again but stopped as he heard a familiar noise. The front door opened with a faint squeak. His mother was home already. He quickly helped Rey off the counter and turned to the bottle of juice that he had left out. It was fortunate that they had untangled themselves because Leia Organa walked into the kitchen carrying several large canvas bags.

 

“Hey Mom,” Ben said, in a much too cheery voice as he handed Rey a glass of juice.

 

“Hi, Ben. Rey! It’s so nice to see your face. What’ve you been up to?” The woman said, placing the bags on the kitchen table. “Are those your dogs in my living room?”

 

The girl shrugged, “Nothing really. Just came into town with my mom. Yes, those are my dogs, I can put them outside.”

 

His mother nodded and then stared at the girl. Ben could tell she was studying her and didn’t want her attention on him. It was too late though, his mother’s eyes were trained on him. Glancing at Rey, he noticed her face was slowly turning the color of beets. He quietly excused himself to get the rest of the bags that were left in the car. When he got outside, he saw his reflection in the window of his mom’s car.

 

Ben was very shocked at the face looking back at him. His lips swollen, his hair was sticking up everywhere, and his eyes had a glazed look to them. Damn, he was a mess. When had Rey put her hands in his hair? No wonder his mom was scrutinizing them; she probably knew what had gone on in the kitchen.

 

He took a deep breath, trying to calm down and instead of going through the front door, Ben went through the backyard. He stepped into the cool interior of the kitchen; Rey was sitting at the table with the glass of juice. Her face was slightly pink, hair a mess, and her lips were also swollen, just like his. He gave her a sheepish smile before handing his mom the bags he held.

 

“So, Mom?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I’m gonna walk Rey back to her mom, okay?”

 

His mother nodded, while she was putting away the groceries. “Dinner’s at six-thirty because Grandma is coming.”

 

“’Kay!” Ben yelled as he practically dragged Rey and the dogs out of the house. When he got to his mom’s car he pointed to the window. “Look.”

 

Rey raised an eyebrow but did as he asked. Once she saw her reflection, Ben heard her gasp. “Look at me! I’m a mess!”

 

Ben shrugged and nodded. “Yeah, I know. I am too.”

 

The girl quickly turned around and glared at him. “No more attacking me like that, mister.”

 

He rolled his eyes and took Rey’s hand. “C’mon, get your dogs and let’s go. I want to talk to you about something.”

 

All Rey had to do was whistle, and both dogs that were sitting on the porch came trotting up to her. Chewie was wagging his tail while Porg looked really bored. Ben patted the older dog’s head. They started walking towards the center of town.

 

“It’s a beautiful day,” Ben said. The moment he said it, he felt incredibly stupid. He was so lame for talking about the weather.

 

“Yeah, since I’ve been here it’s been nice outside. Does Carrington ever have bad weather?” Rey asked.

 

He gave a half shrug. “There are chances for hurricanes, and we occasionally get snow. It rains.”

 

The two kids were silent as they came to an intersection. Ben was nervous as they got closer to town. Since he had researched Rey’s condition, he had gotten an idea. Granted it was a pretty stupid and foolish idea, but he wanted to try to help her.

 

“So, you said that you wanted to talk to me?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“What about? I take it that it’s not about our relationship. That seems to be in good order,” Rey teased.

 

He gave a half-hearted chuckle. “Um, with your—condition have you ever tried sleeping with someone?”

 

“What?”

 

“I don’t mean sex; I mean actually sleeping.” Ben held his hands up as if to fend the girl off.

 

Rey looked at him like he was insane. “Didn’t I just tell you not—“

 

“I did research, okay. I’m not trying to start a fight, Rey,” he said in a quiet voice. The girl took a deep sigh while he studied her. She appeared to be very irritated, and he didn’t know what she would do. “It’s better to be informed about something instead of being ignorant, don’t you think?”

 

They turned the corner onto Carrington’s main drag where most of the shops where located. Ben saw the Andor’s SUV sitting in front of the beauty salon. “Your mom is getting her hair done?”

 

Rey shrugged. “Dunno. She came into to town to get some light fixture from an antique shop.”

 

They were about to cross the street to get to the vehicle when Porg darted out into the street, narrowly missing a moving car. Rey screamed and ran across the street where the dog sat staring at someone. The boy followed her.

 

“Porg! Bad dog! Bad bad dog! You know better than that—“ The girl’s tirade was cut off.

 

“Rey, Porg only wanted to see me!” a woman’s voice said.

 

Ben looked up to see Rey’s mom, but she looked entirely different. Her hair was cut, streaked and styled, making her look several years younger. “Uh, hi Mrs. Andor. You look amazing; I didn’t recognize you.”

 

“What is your problem, you mutt?!” Rey had finally finished yelling at the dog and looked up at her mother. “What the hell did you do to your hair? You told me I was never allowed to dye or cut my hair, how come you get to?”

 

The woman sighed, “Rey, I’m an adult, and I’m allowed to do things like this. You’re still a child and—“

 

Ben watched as Rey gave her mother a look that stopped her words. He bit his lip and wondered what kind of leverage that the girl had over her mother. “Well, I should be getting back home and finish my mom’s rosebushes.” He was eager to leave the scene and give them some privacy to finish their discussion.

 

“You don’t have to go, Ben, I’m sure my mom has some other things to do,” Rey said in a calm tone.

 

“No, I’m all done here. I’ll be waiting in the car,” her mother said.

 

The boy watched as the woman climbed into the car and he turned to Rey. “Did you have to be mean to her?”

 

“Oh please. That wasn’t mean, that was putting her in her place,” Rey muttered. “She doesn’t get that I’m actually growing up. She always thinks I’m a child!”

 

“Rey, perhaps she’s just trying to protect you.” That was totally the wrong thing to say to Rey because her face started turning red and her eyes narrowed. Ben once again held his hands up. “Calm down; I know you don’t need—“

 

“She can’t protect—“

 

“I know, Sweetie. I know,” Ben said, pulling the girl close and stroking her hair. “Look just get into the car, go home, and relax. I’ll see you later.”

 

“Later? You’re having dinner with your grandmother.”

 

“I know. I’ll see you later though.” Ben gently pushed Rey back so that he could lean down and chastely kissed her. “Get Chewie and Porg into the car.”

 

He turned and started walking down the sidewalk. Ben didn’t hear the sounds of Rey opening the car door, but he refrained from looking back until he heard her voice.

 

“Ben Solo!”

 

With a smile on his face, he turned around still walking. “What?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

He would have answered had he not tripped over a piece of uneven sidewalk which sent him flying onto his butt. Rey’s tinkling laugh filled the air, and he shook his head as he got up, dusting himself off. “I’ll see you later, much later.”

 

Ben watched as his girlfriend finally opened the rear door of the SUV to allow Porg to jump in and then the back door for Chewie. He started on his way home and was about a block away from it when he ran into Rose Tico and Hux, so Ben slowed down. They both waved at him and stopped walking.

 

“Hey, Solo! How’s your summer going so far?” Hux asked with a smile on his face.

 

Ben took a few minutes to catch his breath. “Eh, I can’t complain so far. Yours? Hey, Rose.”

 

“Hi, Ben.”

 

“So, so. Hayley hates me because I took Rose out for a burger last night,” the other boy said as Rose giggled. “So, I heard you got Phasma pretty heated last week. She said Andor freaked out.”

 

“What?”

 

Rose spoke this time. “I called Rey last week; she said that you took her out and had a nice time. Phasma texted Hux to say that she got you fired from your paper route—“

 

“WHAT?” Ben repeated loudly.

 

“Yeah, Phasma said she did everything she could to ruin your date with Rey,” Rose said as she reached into Hux’s front pocket of his jeans to pull out his phone. Hux didn’t say a word as the girl quickly punched a few buttons to bring the text up.

 

Ben took the phone and quickly read the short message. His jaw tightened as he became angry. Phasma had done something to Rey’s drink and food that night; here was the proof and she was gloating about it. “So, how do you two know that Rey freaked out?”

 

“Phasma.”

 

“Does Rey know about this?”

 

“Yeah, she knew. She said she would say something to you about it,” Rose replied. “She did, didn’t she?”

 

“Uh, no. She possibly forgot. I don’t know. I’ll see you guys later. I’ve got to get home and finish my Roseres.” Ben said going around the pair, jogging again. He reached his house a few minutes later and sat on the porch contemplating what he had just found out. Phasma was out to get Rey and Ben it seemed. It took several moments before he realized that his grandmother’s red car was sitting in front of the house.

 

Was it really that late? The boy looked at his watched and then back at the car. It was only three-thirty in the afternoon; why was his grandmother’s car here so early? She lived over an hour away. His grandmother could have lived in Carrington, but she liked the retirement community she lived in; the weather was warmer, and she said there were better-looking men. He slowly got to his feet and walked into the house as quietly as he could. When he entered the cool interior of the house, Ben could hear two females talking in the kitchen.

 

“—I don’t know Mom, you should have seen Ben when I walked in. He looked guilty and—I know what teenagers look like when they’ve—“

 

“Leia, he’s a boy. He’s going to be doing things like this. Remember your brother? I was constantly catching him doing things and chasing girls out of his room,” a voice answered.

 

Ben narrowed his eyes as he heard his grandmother’s answer. Was she actually telling his mom not to worry about his relationship with Rey?

 

“I know, but I’m scared that they might not make the correct choices. I mean I don’t want a repeat of Han and me; it’s frightening.”

 

There was a snort from the older woman. “Do you really think that would happen? Ben is ten times the man his father can never be. If he did do something as foolish as to get this girl pregnant—“

 

“Mother!”

 

“I’m only telling the truth. If Ben did do something like that, he’d take full responsibility for it. My grandson would never abandon his child.”

 

Ben’s forehead wrinkled as he heard the conversation. He knew he had to listen to this, so he moved into the small hallway. He was so focused on getting closer that he missed the one board in the hall that groaned as he stepped on it. The conversation stopped very quickly, and two brunette heads peeked from around the corner at him. Ben smiled.

 

“Ben!” the older woman shrieked and rushed towards him with her arms open.

 

“Grandma!” he replied just as eagerly because he wanted to cover up the fact that he had been caught eavesdropping. “Mom said you’d be here much later.”

 

The woman waved a hand and chuckled. “Those folks where I live don’t know how to have a good time. The ping pong tournament ended early. Miss Betty who lives next to me won because the guy she was facing fell asleep in his wheelchair.”

 

Padme Skywalker was the shortest woman that Ben had ever known. She had pale brown and silver-streaked hair and a kind face. The brown eyes that the boy had were mirrored in the wrinkled ivory skin. Padme was only four foot-eight inches, but her presence could fill the room.

 

She was in her mid-sixties, but she had the spirit of a child. Padme had gone skydiving, bungee jumping, scuba diving and about every other thing that could spark an adrenaline rush. Ben thought the tiny woman was a tad crazy and he loved her very much for it.

 

“So, I hear you’ve got a girlfriend! Is there any chance that I’m going to meet this young lady?” Padme asked as she stepped back. Ben tried hard not to blush as his grandmother gave him a look over. “I want to meet her.”

 

“Yeah, I’ve got a girlfriend Grandma,” Ben said and rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know if you’re going to meet her today. She just went back home.”

 

The woman chuckled, “I’ve heard.”

 

The blush he had been trying so hard to fend off finally won. He felt his cheeks getting hotter. “I’m going to go finish the rosebushes, Mom.”

 

“Make sure you shower before you come to the table,” his mother called out as he retreated to the front door.

 

It was only thirty minutes later when Ben came back into the house, sweaty and streaked with dirt. His mother and grandmother were sitting on the couch with tall glasses of iced tea, talking about something. He was sure it had to do with education. His grandmother had been a teacher for years before retiring. He waved at them as he passed through the living room.

 

The bathroom was dark, and Ben flipped the light switch and quickly closed the door, shedding his clothing. He turned on the shower and got in, flinching as the cold spray hit him. He stood under the chilly spray thinking. Rey was the main thing on his mind; what happened this afternoon was almost a very prominent thought. Rey was only his second girlfriend, but he knew that things were getting serious. Why’d he feel this way about her? How did she get through his wall? He’d gone through most of his high school career not caring about girls, but now all he could think about was Rey.

 

Her eyes; her hair; her full lips and smooth skin—

 

“Ben! Are you going to be out of there soon? Dinner’s ready!” His mom’s loud voice broke through his thoughts, destroying the image he had constructed. “Ben? Did you drown?”

 

“Uh,” he said slowly. “I’m coming out. Give me a minute!”

 

Dinner was a slow affair with Ben picking at the homemade lasagna which he usually devoured, while the women chatted animatedly about teaching methods. Finally, his grandmother noticed there was something wrong with Ben.

 

“Dearie, what’s the matter? You look like someone kicked a puppy in your presence.” The older woman said before taking a bite. “Are you missing this mystery girl of yours?”

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Ben could see his mother purse her lips but she remained silent as he shrugged. “Kind of, Grandma.”

 

“Why don’t you go see her? I’ll be here tomorrow.”

 

“But—“

 

”Go, and you can introduce me to her tomorrow.”

 

The boy quickly jumped up from the table and rushed down the hall. It was only a few minutes later that he came back into the room and picked his plate up, putting the contents into a container. The last thing he did was rinse his dishes off and kiss both women on the cheek. He kept a good pace as he jogged out of the house and passed his car. He ran through town ignoring the people who stopped and stared at him. He was eager to get to Rey, so he didn’t need any distractions.

 

He followed the hiking trail through the woods until he hit the newly well-worn path that cut through the woods. It took him no time to reach the creek and pond where he had asked Rey to be his girlfriend; all he had to do now is keep running straight and cross three little streams. It was only five minutes later when Ben saw the huge house at last.

 

He saw Rey sitting in the middle of her room with a notebook and pen. Her phone was laying beside her, lit up, so it was apparent she was talking to someone. He watched her for a few moments before Chewie came to the windows and barked. The girl’s head snapped up, and Ben emerged from the woods. Her face lit up, and Rey jumped to her feet. Ben walked over to the door and let himself into the room.

 

“I thought you were having dinner with your grandmother,” she said before pushing a button on the phone.

 

“I was, but I couldn’t wait to get over here.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I’ve got an idea.”

 


	12. Happy Birthday to You...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there is some sexual stuff happening in this chapter. I wanted it to be slow burn but #thirstorder came through my brain. Rey is on a mission and this girl will not be stopped.

Rey lay in bed looking at the ceiling, listening to the sounds that were around her. Chewie was at the foot of her bed, snoring. Porg was asleep in a bean bag, and Ben lay next to her, stretched out on one side of the huge bed. It was quite shocking last night when Ben showed up; Rey had been on the phone with her uncle, taking down notes on how to care for the Japanese maple that her father had bought.

  
She said goodbye to the man on the phone without an explanation of why she was hanging up and greeted Ben. He had held her tightly before tilting her chin up so that he could kiss her. Just like when they were in his kitchen, her bones seemed to turn to jelly, and her knees became weak. Rey had to wrap her arms tightly around his neck to keep from collapsing on the floor.

  
The two had held that embrace for several moments before Ben broke away from her. “So my idea is this; you know how I asked if sleeping with someone would help?”

  
“You asked me if I'd ever slept with someone!”

  
“Well, whatever. I'm going to stay tonight to see if you sleep better or longer,” he said.

  
Rey hadn’t meant to, but she laughed. She couldn't believe this hair-brained idea that her boyfriend had thought of. “You expect me to believe that we're just going to “sleep” together? You're a teenage boy.”

  
He looked almost hurt when she said that. “You don't know how many times today I've heard that phrase. It's like no woman trusts me.”

  
“Ben, it’s not just that. I don't know why you want to do this. I mean it seems somewhat pointless because I'm not going to sleep any better or longer,” she explained. She sighed, feeling that oppressive weight on her shoulders once more.

  
She had been wrong. She slept soundly for a full eight hours, which surprised her because that had not happened in months. Perhaps it had been a fluke; the rest she had gotten would last her for the next four months. Ben had also been a complete gentleman; tucking her in, kissing her on the forehead and then turning off the light. It had been years since anyone had done that to her. She heard him in the darkness slide in next to her, and now it was morning.

  
“Mmmr...”

  
Rey quickly shut her eyes letting her ears take over. Ben threw back the comforter, and she could hear him stumble around the bed, almost tripping over Chewie. He grumbled slightly but made it to the bathroom where he shut the door; as soon as she heard that, her eyes popped open. Rey waited only a few minutes before Ben walked out of the bathroom.

  
Her eyebrows raised a great deal at the sight of him. He was wearing only his boxers, but that wasn't the surprising thing. They had hearts and skulls on them. She almost giggled but caught herself because she wanted to study him a little bit longer. Ben walked into the middle of her room, stretching his arms out and then scratched his abdomen.

  
Usually, the skin and body she was viewing were covered by clothing, so Rey got a perfect look at how the muscles were sculpted into his body; how there was a thin trail of hair that ran down his torso and the totally squeezable butt. Rey admired his tall form; the silky dark hair that fell in waves to his shoulders. She propped herself up on her elbows and cleared her throat, which caused Ben to spin around and sputter, “You're awake!”

  
“Yeah, I've been awake for about ten minutes. Nice boxers by the way,” she said, smiling when Ben tried to cover his shorts. “What happened to your clothes?”

  
“It was uncomfortable to sleep in jean shorts,” Ben said, walking over to the side of the bed he had slept on. Picking up the shorts and t-shirt he had been wearing, Rey watched as he got dressed. “Are you going to tell me how you slept?”

  
With a pout on her face, Rey sat up all the way and brought her knees to her chest. “It was okay. I slept, but I don't think that this little experiment of yours is going to last. Tonight you'll go—”

  
“If you want me to stay, I will.”

  
“That's sweet of you, but it's not going to help.”

  
Ben crossed his arms over his chest. “But you slept fine last night. If I stay—”

  
“We'll get caught and be in so much trouble that we'll never see each other again,” Rey said, interrupting him again. “Look I don't want to fight about this. We're taking a huge risk. There's no cure for this. Nothing helps. I'm not going to get any better.”

  
The boy dropped his arms and sighed. Rey could tell that he was weighing his options. On the one hand, he could stay every night, and the FFI could be reverse. The chances of that happening were impossible, but they had tried every other treatment out there. The other option didn't look so good; never sleeping and dying at a young age, never experiencing life. Not precisely something Rey wanted to do. But then again, they could be caught.

  
“This is insane. I can't believe I'm going to go with your idea,” Rey huffed, breaking the silence.

  
Ben's mouth turned into a huge smile, and he came forward to sweep Rey off the bed in a bear hug. “I just want to help you know.”

  
“I know. You better go home before your mom calls you in as a missing person.”

  
He nodded and quickly exited Rey's room by the outside door. She watched him disappear into the woods like some kind of villain stealing into the night. With a sigh, she let the dogs out and then closed the door. That was the routine for the next two weeks. Ben would bid goodnight to his mother and then leave his house; run to Rey's house where she let him in, and in the morning he'd leave.

  
It was one such bright day where Ben had just left when Rey's mother walked in without knocking. The girl hurriedly shut the door to the house and spun around to look at her mom. The older woman wore a concerned look but said nothing.

  
“Mom! Hi! I was just going to come up after I let the dogs out and they're out now so—”

  
“Rey,” her mother said, holding up a hand then sitting on the edge of the messy bed. “Your father and I have been noticing some changes in you. We realize that you're now seventeen and that you're going to want to experience certain things.”

  
“What are you getting at Mom?”

“Are you drinking, using alcohol?”

“What?” Rey asked suddenly bewildered.

“Are you doing drugs?”

The girl was utterly baffled. What in the world was her mother thinking? “Mom! I can't believe you!” Rey exclaimed. “What would make you think that?”

“Rey, we're only worried about you. It's our duty as parents to do that,” Jyn explained. “You've changed. You seem more animated and happier. We just wanted to know if you've been using some type of substance to make yourself go to sleep.”

“Wait a minute! I'm seventeen now? Is it really June 25th?” Rey asked entirely not listening to her mother.

Her mother's expression quickly turned to one of bewilderment. “Dear, haven't you been keeping track of the days?”

“No why?” Rey replied. Her excitement quickly died down, and her sentence came out in a flat tone. “Keeping track of days makes it kind of seem like I'm counting down the days until I die.”

The older woman's mouth formed a thin tight line as she frowned. “That's not even remotely funny, Rey.”

No, it wasn't funny, but it was the truth, and one day her mother would have to face reality.

  
“Fine, Mom. No, I've not been using any type of legal or illegal substance to lull myself into sleep. I didn't know it was my birthday today because I've not been using my calendar.” Rey said.

Jyn stared at Rey for a long moment before she left the room. Of course, all Rey wanted to do now was collapse into one of the bean bag chairs and close her eyes but as soon as she got comfortable her phone gave a shrill ring, signaling it was an actual phone call instead of a simple text message. She quickly got up from her chair, reaching her side table on the third ring.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Rey!”

It was Rose! Rose never called her unless it was a really really good piece of gossip or there some a massive emergency. “Rose! Where are you and why is it so loud?”

“Yeah, yeah. It's me. I'm calling from the airport.”

“Airport?”

There was some mumbling before Rose answered. “Yeah, my Nana wanted to see me before I go off to college.”

Rey laughed because she had heard all about Rose's grandmother. “That's sweet of her.”

More mumbling. “Hux says hi! He's coming with me. Silly boy doesn't know what he's gotten himself into.”

“Hux? As in Armitage Hux?”

“Mhmm.”

“Rose?”

“What?”

“He's going to Japan with you? I know you're really into him, but it's only been three weeks since you two hooked up.”

“So?”

“I just didn't expect it.”

There was a laugh from Rose's end of the call. “Well, I didn't call you to talk about my lapses in judgment. There was a reason why I called.”

“And that is?” Rey asked, hesitantly.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

The sound was loud enough to make Rey pull the phone away from her ear as the boy and girl yelled the phrase. “Thanks, guys! That means a lot to me. When are you going to be back Rose?”

“I dunno, we'll get together and go shopping when I get back though. The plane is getting ready to board. Bye!”

Rey barely got out her farewell before the call ended with a beep. She set her phone down and went into her bathroom. Usually, Rey would have been all about conservation of water, but today she stood under the spray of hot water longer than necessary. When she was dry and sitting at her desk wrapped in her thick cotton robe, Rey began the daunting task of untangling the damp mass of hair that hung down her back. It would not have been that hard of a task, but sometimes, her unruly hair refused to cooperate.

 

After what seemed like forever, the chocolate colored locks were tangle free, and she was just picking out her makeup for the day when her phone rang again. Rey sighed as she recapped her mascara and got up from her desk to get the phone. The screen showed it was Ben.

 

“Hey,” she said as she plopped back down into her desk chair.

 

“Rose just called me,” Ben said. “Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?”

 

“Hello, Rey. How’re you?” the girl said before rolling her eyes. She made the chair turn so that she could rummage through one of her lip gloss drawers. “Because I hadn’t realized it was until after my mom alerted me to this fact.”

 

“Oh.” There was a pause. “You want to come over?”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because…” Ben’s voice had changed slightly and faded out.

 

“Because…why, Ben?”

 

Rey wasn’t expecting the husky chuckle he gave. “Your birthday present.”

 

The line went dead, and Rey shook her head. She quickly applied her makeup and got dressed as fast as she could. She didn’t bother to go upstairs to get out of the house; instead, she opened the door that Ben had used that morning. She followed the patio to the set of rough stone stairs which she climbed. Chewie met her at she reached the top and gave a bark as she made her way to the garden.

 

It was flourishing; the nine green squares were alive with various shades of green. The heirloom tomatoes were already sprouting small fruits, the watermelon vines were blooming, the corn stalks were already above the knee, and that was only a portion of what she had grown. Rey quickly noted that she would have to weed the area before she watered it later tonight.

 

Rushing on, the girl reached her car without any interruptions and got in. The key was in the ignition; the car started before her parents finally came out of the house as she pulled into the driveway. Giving them a wave, Rey directed her vehicle through the forest where the smooth lane cut through the foliage. It took less than ten minutes to arrive at Ben’s house.

 

The house looked almost deserted as she got out and walked up to the door. She raised her hand to knock, but the wood door opened automatically. Her eyes narrowed as she stepped inside. Ben had to be around somewhere. After she shut the door, Rey could feel someone standing behind her. She quickly turned around only seeing a flash of black hair as she moved.

 

“Ben?”

 

“What?” The husky voice was behind her.

 

The girl spun again but saw nothing but the dark hair. Rey was getting frustrated, so she said in a slightly whiny tone, “This isn’t funny Ben!”

 

Strong arms encircled her waist, and Rey’s hand’s automatically dropped until she felt the muscled skin. She smiled and prepared to turn around, but Ben’s embrace was too tight. “Hey.”

 

She didn’t receive a reply; instead, she felt Ben bury his face in her hair. The rush of air as he breathed in and out tickled the nape of her neck. Rey giggled, but it was immediately cut off. Her body stiffened as Ben’s hand traveled up her body, fingers gently and briefly brushing over the sides of her breasts. The hand continued to move until Ben swept the mass of hair over one shoulder.

 

“You smell so good,” the boy murmured before placing a series of small kisses on her neck. The touch sent shivers down Rey’s body.

 

If this was her birthday present, then she was going to enjoy it immensely. The girl slowly turned around intending on kissing her boyfriend, but she stopped and stared at him with her mouth opened. He was—oh dear. Rey had to swallow hard. Ben was soaked as if he just got out of the shower and had a towel wrapped around his hips. Water was making wet trails from his hair and down his torso.

 

“Guh.”

 

She lost her voice, and there wasn’t one coherent thought that she could form into a substantial idea. Dear Lord, who had a right to look that sexy? Her eyes caught a water droplet as it fell from his ear and quickly cascaded down his chest and muscled stomach to be absorbed into the fabric of the towel.

 

A throaty laugh left Ben’s mouth. “Guh? What’s that mean? Hey, my face is up here, Andor.”

 

Rey gave a little whine of protest as he moved slightly closer to her. “Uh… uh…” The butterflies in her stomach rose as Ben gave her a smoldering gaze. He took another step towards her which caused her to retreat a step. “Where're your clothes?”

 

Ben merely smiled as she was forced to take several more steps backward. He didn’t answer until Rey bumped into the couch and took a seat which she immediately regretted. He stood over her, looking down with a smirk on his face.

 

“I got out of the shower when you arrived,” he murmured as he leaned down.

 

The girl was going to reply, but Ben’s lips caught hers. Liquid fire poured into her body as he guided her, helping her lay on the cushions of the sofa. Another kiss left her speechless as his legs smoothly pried her own legs apart. Rey knew she would have usually said something to stop the madness that was raging inside of her mind, but everything seemed right as she felt Ben’s weight settle on top of her. She should have protested or at least said something when his mouth moved to her neck.

 

Was this bliss she feeling what bad girls talked and giggled about in dirty bathroom stalls back in L.A.? Her body wanted to go along with whatever Ben wanted to do, but her brain was now screaming at her to stop this nonsense. Rey paused for a moment to think about this logically. 

 

Good girls didn’t have practically unclothed boys lying on top of them. Good girls didn’t breathe heavily when boys put their hands under their shirts. Good girls generally lived longer and regretted their lives when they were old ladies on their death beds. 

 

Good girls definitely sucked. Rey decided then; she wasn’t going to be a good girl.

 

Her body arched into Ben’s which caused him to pull back and stare at her. Rey stared back at him. “What?” she asked.

 

“I don’t know. I was totally expecting you to tell me to stop but—“ Ben trailed off. “I mean if you—you know…”

 

The girl’s only response was to grab Ben and pull him down again so she could kiss him. To Rey, it seemed like that was the correct answer because her boyfriend’s hands pushed her t-shirt up, further exposing her stomach. As their lips parted, she gave a small whine of protest. Why was he getting up? Why was he stopping the wonderful sensations?

 

It turned out that he wasn’t stopping; Ben was just sliding down the couch, leaving a trail of kisses down her skin which made her muscles twitch. Rough hands slid up her denim covered legs and continued over the uncovered skin.

 

“You’re gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous,” Ben mumbled against her stomach. She giggled because his breath tickled her.

 

His hands continued on their course but hesitated at the swell of her chest. This annoyed her. Ben must have plotted this entire scheme, and now he was getting cold feet? Rey decided to do something. Taking hold of the fabric, she yanked the piece of clothing off and threw it across the room. The look on Ben’s face was priceless; his eyes widened in surprise, and his mouth dropped open, making him take on the appearance of a goldfish.

 

“Oh—“ His hand wavered again just over the white cotton material of her bra. “This—I can—?“

 

It would have been in Rey’s nature to laugh, but she shifted her lower body because she felt something pressing against her. What surprised her more, was the fact that Ben shuddered, which made her squirm under him. “Are you okay?”

 

“Stop.”

 

“What—“

 

“Nothing—“

 

One simple thought slammed into Rey like a car hitting a brick wall. He had just gotten out of the shower. He had only a towel on; that meant he was naked under that piece of cloth. She had taken her shirt off, and now she was trying to coerce him into touching her chest. Oh. Holy. Mother of some deity… She had turned Ben on.

 

Rey had turned Ben on!

 

Wow.

 

The topless girl looked up at him. “You’re—you’ve got—“

 

This was incredible; to have power over someone like this was amazing. If Rey moved her hips slowly, Ben would swallow hard and rake his teeth over his bottom lip. Though if she moved her hips quickly the teeth would sink into his flesh and Ben would groan. Whatever butterflies were around, were gone now as a new feeling overcame Rey. A smirk spread across her face as she looked up at her boyfriend. His expression was focused on her and Rey’s smile got bigger.

 

Slowly she pushed him back until they were both sitting up. She glanced down at Ben’s lap. Honestly, she didn’t mean to stare, but the lump was very noticeable. There was no way possible… For a moment she was sidetracked, so she didn’t notice that Ben was caressing her neck and shoulders until he had pushed one of her bra straps down her arm.

 

“What are you—?“

 

The boy shrugged. “I don’t know.”

 

“What?”

 

“I just wanted…”

 

What was it going to take for this teenage boy just to take action? With a sigh, Rey reached behind her, her fingers deftly unhooking the latch on her bra. The piece of clothing slowly fell off, making a groan escape from Ben again. Rey wasn’t expecting Ben to pounce on her.

 

She fell back onto the couch with her knees splayed apart, the boy’s body filled the gap as he leaned down. Never had Rey experienced this. She had never taken an interest in sex, so the sensations running to her belly and toes were very new. The feelings of power were drained from her as Ben started kissing her again.

 

For Rey, it was starting to get very warm in the room as Ben moved against her. His hips ground against hers in quick, jerky motions until the boy stopped very abruptly. Her gaze was glued to Ben’s mouth which hovered over one of her nipples, and she could only watch as his lips closed over the flesh.

 

Her eyes closed and her body arched off the surface of the couch into him which made him moan. Rey’s body wanted more, but logic was pleading with her to stop. She wouldn’t listen though. 

 

Screw doing things the proper way. Screw abstinence. Screw waiting to get married. Her hands quickly went between their bodies and started undoing the belt she had put on. Why had she put on so much clothing?

 

The pleasure stopped and Rey, confused, looked up at Ben who was staring back at her with a troubled look on his face. “Why’d you stop?” she asked.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Um, I was going to remove my jeans. It’s easier to have sex if you remove clothing,” she answered as the belt came loose.

 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Ben said backing up. “I wasn’t planning on—“

 

“What do you mean you weren’t planning? Isn’t this why you told me to come down?”

 

The boy sighed. “Rey, I’m totally prepared to make out but to have sex? Now? My mom is going to come home soon. I have nothing in the way of protection and if I have sex in her living room. I’d die. It wouldn’t be a quick and easy. It would be slow, drawn out and very painful.”

The girl’s forehead wrinkled. “I’ll go get some condoms, and we’ll go to my house.”

 

Ben’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious. There is no way you’ll be able to buy condoms in this town without that information getting back to my mother!”

 

“What?”

 

“ _This is a small town!_ Everyone pretty much knows everyone else’s business. If you go to the store and purchase those, then someone is going to see you. Then someone will tell someone else and the news that Rey Andor bought condoms will go through this town like a wildfire through southern California.”

 

“What business is it of theirs?”

 

“Don’t you get it?”

 

“No, not really. Everyone in this town gossips too much,” Rey said. “And the only reason southern California has so many fires, is because of irresponsible idiots.”

 

“If everyone talks then my mom is bound to find out if we have sex.”

 

Frustrated, Rey sat up and looked around for her bra. “So when are you planning on having sex, when you get married?”

 

“No.”

 

“Today would be a perfect day. It’s my birthday; I may not see my eighteenth—“

 

Her words were cut off as Ben grabbed her face and pressed his mouth to hers. His hand delicately trailed down her shoulders and cupped her breast. Once again, fire shot through her and butterflies erupted. “Not right now,” he murmured.

 

“Okay,” Rey replied. Ben stood and left the room, Rey could hear the bathroom door opening and closing. She had just pulled her shirt back over her head and smoothed her hair down when Leia walked into the house carrying several canvas shopping bags. The older woman looked startled at seeing the girl standing in her living room.

 

“Hi, Rey.”

 

“Hello, Ms. Organa.”

 

There was a pause of awkward silence as the females stared at each other for a moment. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Oh, Ben wanted me to come over, something about my birthday present,” Rey said hastily.

 

“It’s your birthday? Oh, how lovely. How old are you dear? I should have baked something for you,” Leia said as she started walking out to the kitchen.

 

The girl could have signed in relief. Hopefully, the woman didn’t notice that Rey’s belt was undone or that she didn’t have her shoes on but she couldn’t have been that lucky.

 

Ben stepped out of the bathroom wearing boxers which made his mom stop in mid-step. His hair was still damp, and his eyes were bright.

 

“What are you doing?” his mother asked.

 

“What?”

 

“Don’t what me Ben! What have you two been up to?” Leia asked.

 

“What?” Ben replied absolutely shocked. “Mom!”

 

“Rey is here and looks guilty. You come out of the bathroom almost naked!?”

 

“I’m not naked!”

 

Rey backed up so that Ms. Organa wouldn’t notice her or bring her into the conversation, but soon as she made a move, she turned around.

 

The woman stared at Rey before saying, “Would someone care to tell me what is going on? I’d like to know the truth.”

 

“Uh,” Ben mumbled.

 

Rey quickly cleared her throat. She was going to tell a huge lie. “When Ben called me, I was coming into town, so I decided to stop by here before doing what my mom asked me to do. He was in the bathroom getting ready to take me out for lunch. I don’t think Ben expected me to show up so soon—“

 

“Yeah, I didn’t Mom. I was getting ready to go upstairs and get dressed when you got here.” Ben finished.

 

Please, please let her buy this excuse, Rey silently prayed. “I didn’t mean—“

 

“Alright! I believe you,” Leia said shaking her head. “Your face is too innocent to be lying.”

 

The teenage girl looked at her boyfriend who just stared back at her. Why was he looking at her like she had just slain a dragon?

 

“Go get dressed Ben, Rey come with me.”

 


	13. It's A Motherfucker

Ben stretched out beside the secluded pond that sat on the Andor's property. Rey lay beside him, her arm dangling in the water. They finished swimming in the chilly water and were now relaxing. Ben watched her; she slowly was making ripples in the water. She seemed totally different after what happened at his house.

 

“You know what sucks?” Rey said in a quiet voice.

 

“Knowing football practice starts in a week, and I won’t get to spend as much time with you?”

 

The wind gently rustled the canopy of leaves above them. Rey took her hand out of the pool of water before turning towards him. “Knowing this could be my last birthday. That I might not see another June or go to college; I’m not going to have kids, get married, or see the world.”

 

He sighed.

 

“I’m never going to dream, and that scares me. It’s absolutely terrifying if you think about it. What am I supposed to do with all my waking hours?”

 

Rey paused, and Ben said nothing. Ben didn't want to remind her of the fact that most of her time would probably be spent dealing with her own demons. She seemed to be doing an excellent job of that herself. He was thinking of something to say to her that would cheer her up, but nothing came to him. She was saying profound things, but he couldn’t answer her questions.

 

“I pace, watch movies, play video games, read but it means nothing. I get nothing out of it. Its just time wasted,” the girl finally said after the long silence.

 

“Rey, you can’t focus on the bad things. If you do that, then yeah, it all seems pretty miserable—“

 

Ben was interrupted by the girl pushing herself away from him and rolling into the pond. He could see her small form glide through the water as smooth and graceful as a fish. Her brown hair fanned out behind her as she swam and as she broke the surface, it formed a dark line down her back.

 

“Ben, I’m not going to get to experience the things you’re going to,” she said as she lay back in the water to float. “It’s depressing to know each and every day I get closer to the end of my life.”

 

The boy sighed and sat up. Scooting to the water’s edge, his legs dangled in the clear water. He couldn't follow her down this dark path of thinking. “What do you want to experience then?”

 

A very unladylike snort came from the girl. “I’ve already told you what I wanted.”

 

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ben took a moment to think. She was refering to the incident on the couch. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to have sex with Rey, it was just he’d been totally shocked that she had brought it up. When in the history of the world had a virgin girl brought up sex like she had? He had wanted to, almost said to hell with common sense but he had kept his feet on the ground and said no to her.

 

Sure, he had taken the easy way out by quieting the fight that had been brewing by kissing her but then he had to retreat to the bathroom to cool down. His mom came home after that and he had been so positive his mom would figure out what they’d been doing. Rey had lied though. He’d boggled at the idea that his girlfriend had told a lie to his mother. In all his years alive on this planet, Ben had never told his mom a lie consciously.

 

The truth was that Ben did plan on taking her out to eat to a nice vegetarian restaurant so that wasn’t the lie; it was the time frame. He had planned on taking her out for dinner not lunch. It had only been a small lie but still it was a lie. On their way over to the pond, Rey had stopped at Bess’s where she had bought two lemonades and then they had walked the trail to the pond. Okay, so technically it wasn’t a lie if lemonade could be considered an edible item.

 

“Rey,” Ben said, slipping into the water with her. Even on such a warm and humid day, the water was still a shock of frigidness against his warm body. “Why are you so eager to do that?”

 

“Never mind. Aren’t teenage boys supposed to be sex crazy or something?”

 

“Not every guy is like that!” he said, somewhat offended. “I’m not like that at least. If we have sex, I want it to be at the right time and for the right reasons. Not because you’re feeling sorry for yourself because you’re dying!”

 

His last word echoed through the forest. Ben studied Rey as she crossed her arms over her chest then bit her lip. He would have given anything to know what she was thinking about that moment. The girl shifted several times before giving a sigh. Ben smiled and took this action as a victory. She was seeing his logic.

 

It was true though. When he was finally ready to have sex he wanted it to be the most memorable moment in his life. He would go all out; buying roses and candles, the whole cliché. It would be a special event, not like how Hux lost his virginity. His best friend had sex because he was bored and his sister’s friend wanted him.

 

“Well, I don’t see it that way,” Rey finally said, breaking the silence. “I wanted it because I was turned on.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Yeah, oh.”

 

It was Ben’s turn to think. If what she was saying was true then Ben missed out on—crap. His palm came up to slap his forehead. “I’m a dumb ass, aren’t I?”

 

Rey merely nodded. “It may not have been the perfect place, but it was possibly the perfect time.”

 

The boy sighed and swam over to where she stood. “You know… we could, right here.”

 

“In the pond?”

 

“Yeah, why not?” Ben replied.

 

Rey’s hands went to her hips. “Well I’m not in the right mood now, we still have no protection, and I’m not going to contaminate this water source with bodily fluids. Peeing in it doesn’t count.”

 

His mouth slowly opened and closed several times. It was simply amazing how this female could flip from one extreme to the other. He stood up and slipped his arms around her then smiled. “You’re amazing, Rey. You can make me speechless, confuse me, drive me insane and you’re ridiculously beautiful.”

 

The girl’s cheeks turned scarlet before she ducked her head which made his smile bigger. She was so adorable. “You’re crazy, you know that?” she said.

 

“Happy birthday, baby.”

 

“Now I know you're insane but thanks,” Rey mumbled.

 

The two teenagers spent a few more hours in the pool before they parted ways. All Rey had to do was run back to her house while Ben jogged through the woods to the trail and then back into town. He would get a shower and get dressed then take Rey out to dinner. That had been two weeks ago and now he stood out on a football field, sweating with the rest of the football team listening to one of the coaches scream at them while they ran drills.

 

He didn’t know why he played football. For three years, he had mostly sat on the bench, occasionally playing when the kicker was injured. He didn’t really like the sport; it was just something to do after school. There was no way he could be in the marching band, Ben had no rhythm and he was entirely not cut out for cheerleading.

 

So far, since practice had started, Mr. Thompson, the head coach had been harder than ever on him. Hux had said that this was because Ben was undoubtedly on the team this year. When practice was over, and everyone was in the locker room, Hux came up to him. The taller boy had a towel around his neck and waist, from just coming out of the showers.

 

“So, I guess Andor wants to know when your birthday is. She wanted Rose to ask me to ask you when it was. I told her it was in September, but I wasn’t real sure,” Hux said as he plopped down on the wood bench beside his friend. “So you might want to tell your girlfriend that. It might be important.”

 

“Oh, yeah?” Ben asked as he put one sneaker on. “So how was Japan? Jetlag still kicking your ass?”

 

“Yeah,” the boy mumbled. “I never want to spend that long on a plane again. Although, it was really interesting; I feel bad though.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Rose spent all that money on me to go with her. I mean, I don’t mind that but still… I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to pay her back. So what’d you get Andor for her birthday?”

 

Ben’s ears started burning, and he cleared his throat. “Well, technically nothing but we had some fun. She wanted to…nevermind.”

 

“Did you?”

 

“No! Do I look like you?”

 

“You pussy! Rose and I did. Twice on the airplane and several times while at her grandparents; it was hot.” Hux said with a smug grin on his face.

 

The blonde boy raised an eyebrow. “Are things getting serious with Rose? I mean you’re telling me that you’ve done her, went to Japan, and she takes your phone out of your pocket. You didn’t let Hayley do that.”

 

The other boy shrugged. “I don’t know, man. Look I’ll catch up with you later. I’m gonna get dressed and—“

 

“I know; I got the same intentions. You want to see your girl.” Ben laughed and then picked up his bag. He said bye to several other people on his way out of the locker room and made his way to his car.

 

Ben’s first stop was at his house where he dropped his football equipment off, and then he turned his car around, making his way to Rey’s house. He did this every day though; he was greeted by the dogs, and he would shut the car off to find Rey. There was something different that day.

Chewie did not come up to his car nor did Porg bark at him as he walked past the porch. He didn’t even see Rey working in her garden. The only thing that struck him as odd was her father, sitting in a rocking chair on the side porch with a glass of dark liquid in his hand. The man’s eyes had a glazed look to them, and he stared hard at Ben.

 

“Hello, sir; is Rey here?” Ben asked. He wanted to be as polite as possible just in case Mr. Andor was angry. It didn’t seem like he liked Ben very much.

 

The man looked away, shaking his head. “No, she’s not here. She had a doctor’s appointment.”

 

Instantly, Ben started panicking. Rey had mentioned nothing about having a doctor’s appointment today. “Is she okay? There’s nothing wrong is there? Is she getting—“

 

“Whoa, boy. C’mon,” the man held up a hand, silencing Ben. “Why do you care? Honestly Ben, why do you care about my daughter? You know what she has and know what is going to happen to her. Are you planning on using her and then just ignoring her?”

 

“No, sir. I love Rey. I care about her. I only want her to be happy and heal—“

 

“Watch your tongue. There is no way she’ll be either of those things, Ben. You don’t understand, do you? I’m only trying to look out for my daughter. She’s my only child. I have no others. Jyn couldn’t have any more children. We had enough trouble trying to get Rey into this world,” the older man fumed before mumbling, “Never imagined this would happen to her.”

 

Ben was going to respond. He didn’t know how but he was going to answer. He opened his mouth to talk, but a car pulled up, and he heard the sounds of the dogs barking. Rey was home! He started walking quickly towards the driveway to see the girl letting the dogs out of the back of the SUV.

 

“Rey!” he said as he walked up to her. A smile spread across his face while relief washed over him. She seemed to be fine. It was an unexpected feeling, but Ben grabbed her and hugged her tightly, not caring if her parents were staring at them. “You didn’t tell me that you had a doctor’s appointment today. What happened? What’d the doctor say?”

 

“Whoa, stop,” Rey said and gently pushed him away. “I didn’t know I had one today either until—“

 

It was Mrs. Andor who finished her sentence. “Rey has entered stage two of her disease.”

 

Ben turned from Rey and looked at her mother as if she was crazy. “What do you mean she’s entered stage two of her disease? What does that mean? What’s going to happen now?”

 

“Um, nothing much different than what’s happening now,” Jyn replied. “It’s just the normal panic attacks, phobias and—“

 

“She’s not telling you that the panic attacks will come more frequently, the phobias get more bizarre; I’ll become more agitated and start sweating like a pig,” Rey finished for her mother. She sounded very bitter. “I’ve started to get these really weird blotches on my skin. So my mom decided to take me to the doctor, and we found out this today.”

 

He was clutching Rey’s hands so hard that she was trying to pry his fingers off her skin. “How much longer?” He croaked out. Rey shook her head, not wanting to answer. To Ben that meant she didn’t know or it wasn’t very long.

 

“Why don’t we all go in and talk about this?” Jyn said before ushering the two teens and dogs into the direction of the house. Mr. Andor followed behind her as she had the kids standing in the dining room. “Sit Rey and Ben.”

 

After the two were sitting, Jyn stood with her hands folded in front of her as if she was praying. “The thalamus is in your brain and it’s responsible for the circadian rhythm that the body goes through. It’s actually responsible for many functions your body goes through. The disease that Rey has is hardening the thalamus, which prohibits it from functioning properly. The reason that its hardening is because one gene decided to mutate and there is nothing that can be done to reverse it.”

 

“Eventually Rey won’t be able to produce tears, feel pain; her reflexes will become poor, and she’ll show signs of dementia. FFI leads to a waking coma,” Jyn paused in her lecture, looking at her daughter with a sad expression. “I’m terribly sorry.”

 

The boy looked over at the girl who was staring at the table top who shrugged. “Not your fault Mom. I’m a freak of nature, truly one of a kind.”

 

Rey slowly stood and left the room leaving Ben sitting with her parents. They glanced at each other before the teenager decided to break the uncomfortable silence. “There’s nothing you can do for Rey? Nothing at all? Have you tried helping her?”

 

“There is nothing to make her sleep Ben. All we can do it alleviate her symptoms but there is nothing that can make her sleep,” Jyn replied. “She has less than a year to live; the doctor said perhaps nine months.”

 

The world fell away from Ben with those words. His entire fragile world collapsed, blown apart by a mere sentence. Everything was turned upside down and mangled; shattered with no hope of being repaired. He wanted to deny it, but no words came out of his slightly opened mouth. Rey had been sleeping when he was staying the night; at least that was what she told him. Had that been a lie?

 

“I’m going to go see if Rey is okay,” he finally said before standing. Ben nodded to the couple, but before he left the dining room, he stopped and turned back. “Does Rey know how long she has?”

 

It was her father who answered. “She has always known, boy.”

 

Ben quickly nodded then went into the basement of the house where Rey’s room was and knocked on the door. He heard something that sounded like static on a television but received no answer so he opened the door. As he stepped into the massive room, he saw that the flat panel TV was off. The static sound was coming from the bathroom. The door was open letting steam billow out of the room. Rey must have been taking a shower.

 

“Rey? Are you okay?” Ben called and stepped forward. The fourteen steps to the bathroom door gave him some time to think about things, like his relationship with the dying girl. What would he do without her? How could he—why would he go on without her? Just because he had his entire life ahead of him didn’t mean he wanted to spend it without her. He knew people would tell him he’d find someone else to fall in love with but Ben didn’t want anyone but Rey.

 

“Rey?”

 

“What?” The voice came from behind him, and Ben jumped. The girl was standing in a towel that she had wrapped around her and held another one draped over her arm. “What are you doing?”

 

Ben gulped air into his lungs and said, “I was looking for you.”

 

Rey blushed and ducked her head slightly so that she was looking at the floor. “I’m right here. I’ll always be right here.”

 

There was a black void of space in his life when she said that. How could she always be right there if she was going to die? Why was life so unfair? Ben swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat and walked towards Rey, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her close to him. Their bodies touched; Ben being a warm-blooded creature, noticed that she was just wearing a towel.

 

A realization came over him that there may never be a right time or place for this. There would never be a perfect moment and that this was a memorable moment as any. Ben had just been told that he had less than a year with the female that he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. It was the beginning of July now. She may not eve get to graduation. She surely wouldn't have another birthday.

 

He didn’t even notice he was crying until Rey reached up and wiped a tear from his face. He stared into her brown eyes, trying to figure out what she was thinking. What could she be thinking? What did someone think about when they were told that they were going to die?

 

“What are you thinking about that is making you cry?” she whispered.

 

His shoulders rose in a half-shrug. The words that came out next were choked and sounded ragged. “You—your—your mom told me. I don’t know what to—“

 

“Believe me, Ben. I don’t know what to do either. I’m just as lost as you are. All my parents want to do is keep me happy and safe. That’s all I can ask of them,” Rey said looking back at him, cradling his face in between her hands. “That’s all I can ask of you. Keep me safe; you don’t have to keep me happy. I know you try, but it’s not your responsibility.”

 

He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’d do anything to keep you happy Rey. Just say the word, and I’ll do it. Anything.”

 

“Anything?” It only took a nod of his head to make Rey smile. “Come with me; I’m going to take a shower.”

 


	14. Oops...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Magical Character Jar has spoken... if you're wondering WHY a certain character is in this chapter.

“There is something different about you Rey,” Rose said as they wandered through the mall’s lingerie store.

 

“Really?” Rey asked with a furtive smile on her face. “What do you mean by different?”

 

The Asian girl raised an eyebrow as she stared at her friend with an incredulous look. “Oh come on! You’re going to make me spell this out for you aren’t you?”

 

The brunette smirked and shrugged. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about Rose. What do you think of these underwear?”

 

“Ruffles on the butt aren’t your style Rey. But I like those with the bows on the sides—“ the girl replied. “Wait a minute; you’re changing the subject. And why are we discussing panties? Why would you need these kind of underthings—“

 

Rose stopped very suddenly which made Rey look up at her before replacing the ruffled clothing. “What?”

 

“Oh my god! Rey Andor, you did not!”

 

“Did not what?” A slow smile spread across Rose’s face just as a blush spread over Rey’s. She knew she was busted. Rose had much more experience than she had and could probably tell. “I don’t know what you’re on about,” Rey told her friend.

 

Striking a pose where her feet where slightly spread apart and a hand on her hip, Rose used her other hand to make gestures. “I’m kicking Solo’s ass when I see him. Sex is not a birthday present.”

 

“Sex? Who said we had sex? He’s too chivalrous to have—“ Silence. “I just said too much, didn’t I?”

 

The black haired girl nodded. “Wanna tell me the juicy details over a latte?”

 

Rey’s blush deepened, and she shook her head. “I can’t kiss and tell. It’s rude.”

 

“Pfft. If you think that Hux won’t get these details out of Solo, you had better rethink that. Guys almost always kiss and tell. They think of it as a badge of honor. I don't think that applies to Ben,” Rose said, picking up a pair of lacy boyshorts. “These would look good with your shape.”

 

The other girl rolled her eyes. “Get them then. What do you mean you don't think that applies to Ben?”

 

Rose added a pair to the growing stack of underwear and rolled her eyes. “He’s pretty much been Mr. Single since we’ve entered high school, Rey. He’s not really dated or had a girlfriend except for Phasma, but she totally doesn’t count because she’s psychotic. Get the polka dots. They’re hot. Oooh, and you need matching underwear! That means some new bras!”

 

Rey’s eyebrows shot up as she listened to her friend. “No, no, no, absolutely no bras. I have nothing to put in them. Why do I need a bra?”

 

“You don’t wear a bra?”

 

The girl huffed. Rey had never dealt with these types of questions. With the weight she lost, she'd become almost flat-chested. “I wear a… sports bra… thing. I don’t really have anything in chest department to own a real bra.”

  

“Give me a break,” Rose muttered something about training bras and then quickly looked around and found a sales associate who helped pick out a perfect bra and panties set for Rey which would fit her and rang up her other purchases. Two hundred dollars and thirty minutes later, the two girls sat in the food court sipping doctored coffees and planning on going into the cosmetics store so that Rey could look around for new makeup.

 

“Not that I need new makeup or underwear,” she said as she looked around the mall. It was the only one in a fifty-mile radius, so it seemed like everyone from Carrington came here. It was only a seven-minute drive from Rey’s house.

 

Rose laughed. “You certainly don’t need new makeup. I’ve seen your entire collection and really wouldn’t mind having your eyeshadows. That’s absolutely the biggest collection of MAC that I’ve seen.”

 

Rey smiled and nodded. “I’m addicted to buying makeup. I’m addicted to using it. I think it’s my only vice.”

 

“You deserve to splurge once in a while.”

 

The other girl was going to answer, but someone interrupted her. A tallish black man walked up to their table and looked down at them. “Hey, Rose. How’s it going? Your sister still in town?”

 

“Hey… Lando. How’s the job as a firefighter going?” The Asian girl didn’t look too enthused at the moment talking to this mystery man, Rey noticed but said nothing.

 

“Eh, I’m still in training and delivering pizzas,” the man asked as he looked at Rey. “Who’s your friend?”

 

“Oh, this is—“

 

It wasn’t like Rey to feel curious about someone, but ever since she had gotten sick, she had taken to observing people. So when the guy asked who she was, Rey decided to answer for herself. “I’m Rey Andor.”

 

“Ah, I’ve heard some about you,” the man smiled and pulled out one of the metal chairs. Rose protested, but it must have fallen on deaf ears because he sat down anyways. “You’re the one that Phasma’s been bitching about.”

 

“Can’t say that Phasma and I are friends,” Rey remarked. “So, who are you?”

 

There was something about him that she couldn’t resist but she couldn’t put her finger on it. So, Rey listened to him explain who he was. Lando Calrissian, 24, current resident of Carrington, pizza delivery driver, and firefighter in training; he had short black hair, a charming smile, and a slight southern accent.

 

“You forgot manwhore,” Rose said dryly, interrupting his monologue.

 

“Rose! That’s not very nice!” Rey said, scolding her friend.

 

She shrugged. “It’s true. By the way, where is your girlfriend?”

 

The man looked at the girl before shrugging. He then slowly stood. “Dunno, she dumped me a while ago. It was a pleasure meeting you Rey and nice seeing you again, Rose. Tell your sister to call me.”

 

The girls watched the male walk away in silence. As soon as he was out of sight, Rose said “What a pompous ass. Self-confident, arrogant, stupid—“

 

“I take it you don’t like him very much, do you?”

 

“Hell to the no! God! What is wrong with him?” Rose snapped and picked up her cup, sucking angrily on the straw only to find out she had finished her drink. “Ugh, he needs to go away or maybe fall into a pit of fire.”

 

Rey shrugged, not knowing why her friend didn’t like this mystery man. “I think he’s kind of handsome.”

 

There was a snort. “You have a boyfriend! Don’t let that ass fool you or play you. You have Solo, and he’s a lot better looking and nicer than Calrissian. Yeah, he’ll flash that pretty smile at you and tell you he loves you; take your virginity and then ignore you. He’s a manwhore, trust me. I was fifteen when I got stuck on stupid.”

 

“Is that why you don’t like him?”

 

“Did you want to still go to the makeup place or can we stop by the bathroom first? I’ve got to pee,” Rose said, changing the subject abruptly.

 

Rey shrugged her shoulders. “We can go to the bathroom. As I said, I don’t need to go buy makeup. I have too much already.”

 

Rose laughed before standing. “Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. The next step is giving all your eyeshadows to me.”

 

It was some three hours later when Rey got home to find her parents in the kitchen. They were smiling and chatting. The teenager knew it was wrong but suggested that they order pizza that night from the local pizza place in Carrington.

 

Her parents said nothing instead gave her strange looks. Rey hadn’t eaten anything that was processed or considered fast-food in years. They said nothing as she dialed the number and ordered the pizza. It was inappropriate to want to hope to see that charming man again. Rose was right; she had a boyfriend. A handsome boyfriend, who loved her and made her happy; why did she want to see this Lando man again?

 

It was a good question; one she thought about for a while as she sat in the entrance hall waiting for the pizza to arrive. Was it the alluring smile that he gave her? Perhaps it was the warm look in his eyes. He was handsome. He was older. What if Rose was just biased and said all those mean things about him because he snubbed her? Her friend was a lot younger than him. Rose was eighteen and Lando had said he was twenty-four.

 

The doorbell rang, and Rey jumped up to get the door. She bit her bottom lip and grasped the handle, pulling it open. Rey already knew who it was from the glass panel in the door. Lando Calrissian stood with a white pizza box in his hand.

 

“Well, well,” the man said. “This is a surprise for me, seeing the same cute girl twice in one day.”

 

A blush tinted her cheeks, and she smiled demurely. The next sentence out of her mouth would be a lie. “Hi. I didn’t know you were going to be delivering the pizza.”

 

A charming grin spread across the man’s face. “I’m the only driver for Paul’s unless I’m in training.”

 

“Oh.” Oh? That was it, an oh? How lame was that? There were a million other things that she could have said other than oh. Rey swallowed her nervousness and held up the money her father had handed her. It was enough to pay for the pizza and a substantial tip.

 

It could have been a trick in the light or something, but Rey swore she saw the man lick his lips and slightly raise his eyebrows. “I’ve got a large pepperoni here for you.”

 

Was that an innuendo? What should she say?

 

“Well, I think I got enough here to pay for it.” What was she doing? Was Rey actually flirting with another male who wasn’t Ben? It wasn’t flirting. She didn’t even know this Lando guy. He was just delivering a pizza to her. Quickly, Rey shoved the money at him and took the box, embarrassed at her actions.

 

“Do you want your change?” Lando asked, looking at the bills in his hand.

 

“No, just keep it.”

 

“Well here’s your receipt. Have a nice night Rey.”

 

The piece of paper was dropped into her hand, and Rey realized that there was just more than proof of the transaction lying in her palm. The second piece of paper lay beneath the actual receipt, and as Rey shut the door, she turned around to see her parents standing in the doorway of the kitchen, looking at her with concerned expressions.

  
Immediately, her hand became a vise around the pieces of paper in her hand, and she slipped it under the pizza box. “I got the pizza! You guys ready to eat?”

 

Her parents directed her to set the table, and they would be in the dining room after getting the salad and drinks. Rey did as she was told carefully arranging the black Italian glass plates her mother had picked out along with the silverware. At first, she didn’t notice the sounds coming from the kitchen until she heard her mother’s voice rise. Jyn almost never yelled.

 

The conversation at the table was stilted and uncomfortable. Rey didn’t know why. Usually, her parents were chatterboxes, telling her about their upcoming projects, events, and what kind of day they had. She had tried asking her father about the new building he was designing for some guy in Boston was going but all she received was a few word replies. Rey then tried her mother. The girl didn’t miss how her mother’s jaw tightened or how her lips became incredibly thin.

 

Were her parents having problems in their marriage? What happened in the time she had returned home and now? Her mom left the table first taking her wine glass and plate to the kitchen and her father quickly followed leaving his plate with a discarded pizza crust laying on it. Angry voices were coming from the kitchen, and as desperately as she wanted to run into the kitchen to ask what was wrong, Rey knew what her job was; it was actually the only chore she had besides making sure the dogs were groomed, and their messes cleaned up. She immediately gathered the three salad bowls, her father’s wine glass, her own plate, and glass. It was apparent that they were in the middle of a heated discussion but became silent the moment she walked into the kitchen with the dinner dishes.

 

“Hi, Rey. Your father and I were just talking about you,” her mother said in an irate tone. “Please give me your car keys, credit card, and phone.”

 

“Why? What have I done to have all that taken away?”

 

It was her father who answered. “I came in last night to talk to you and saw Mr. Solo in your bed asleep; I don’t know if he was naked, but his clothes were on the floor. You were asleep though, actually asleep! That made me happy to see you sleeping, but I was shocked and upset though to see Ben in your bed. You know better than that.”

 

There was a long silence before Rey swallowed then replied, “Oh.” She was in trouble. No, not just trouble but big _T-R-O-U-B-L-E_. There would be no simple grounding for this; it didn’t even cover the punishment for this crime.

 

“Oh?” Her mother inquired; the volume of her voice just below screaming. Jyn Anbor never seemed to get visibly upset, but when she did, it was serious. “I think this needs a better explanation besides oh, Rey Ann!”

 

“She is sleeping, Jyn! What does it matter?” This interjection from her father surprised Rey. She knew he didn’t like Ben. He thought the boy was just using her; her father had told her this on several occasions.

 

But Ben wasn’t using her. He genuinely cared about her. No games were being played or illusions. Rey would have liked to think she would have enjoyed the courtship he was trying to provide. Ben was trying to do all the right things, and she didn’t have time for him and his chivalry. She just didn’t have the time. There was a countdown clock above her head. There was an expiration date stuck on her.

 

She didn’t mean to coerce Ben into coming into the bathroom, but Rey had to start somewhere. She had to have some semblance of a normal teenage life. It had to be different than the life she had back in Los Angeles. There was no college in her future, so she had no one to impress. If she wanted to be like almost every other teenager in America and have premarital sex, then she would.

 

When the doctor told her that she had less than a year, maybe nine months, Rey’s head started spinning. The thoughts started racing through her head. What life experiences could she fit into nine months? The bad news didn’t stop there though. If she counted the months that she might spend in a coma before dying, then Rey had perhaps less than six to eight months to live. If she counted the days that the symptoms of FFI disabled her then—all her time was running out, and it was dwindling fast.

 

The boy blushed as she dropped the towel on the floor and she was surprised as he looked everywhere but at her. It took her some time, but she finally got him into the shower. He wasn’t naked; Ben wouldn’t take off his boxers. The two spent a good hour in the shower, exploring each other's bodies in a way that before had been unthinkable.

 

Rey had learned so many things about Ben that afternoon. He was ticklish and squirmed away if you touched his upper arms and sides. He discovered that she had a routine to showering and _NOTHING_ could make her stray from her schedule of wash face, wash hair, condition hair, wash body and then rinse off.

 

Rose was wrong though, Ben and she didn’t have sex. They may have fooled around a lot more, but her boyfriend was ever the knight in shining armor saying that her parents were in the house and he didn’t feel right about it.

 

“If I’m sleeping then why did I enter stage two of FFI?” Rey asked, placing the plates she had been holding on the counter. “Why am I sleeping but not getting better?”

 

An angry huff came from her mother. “That is irrelevant to what we are discussing! You have betrayed your father’s and my trust! We have given you practically everything you have wanted and you—“

 

“Mom, shut up.”

 

The tension in the room was thick, and Rey imagined if pressure could be an actual substance, perhaps a gas or some kind of gelatinous goo, she’d die of suffocation right there. Why did she say that to her mom? The woman was right; the two adults tried to keep Rey happy and give her anything she wanted.

 

Rey said it because her parents couldn’t give her the one thing she wanted. No one could give her time. The girl cleared her throat, “I’ve been told that I’m going to die—“

 

“Oh, now you’re going to play the ‘I’m sick and going to die’ card? You’ve asked us not to mention your illness or treat you any differently. In the beginning, it was hard to do because I wanted to baby you—“ Her mother replied interrupting Rey.

 

She didn’t mean to yell. Rey would think back on this day and feel guilty. She never meant a word of what she said to her mom. “I’m not going to live a full life! I have to put an entire lifetime into months that I might not even have! You always wanted me to be perfect; be in sports, have friends, get good grades, Rey. Go to college; your life depends on it! You’ve wanted too much from me my entire life and look what it has gotten you! I’m going to die before I turn eighteen. I don’t think you ever wanted me Mom; I was just a burden on your perfect existence! I’m never going to be married! I’m never—“

 

Rey didn’t know how to handle the anguish that ripped through her as the anger poured out from her. Sobs wracked her body, and she doubled over in pain. Her father hurried over to her side as she fell to her knees then onto the floor. Tears streamed down her face, and they hit the polished surface of the black and white granite floor. She could barely breathe as she uttered, “Let me live these next few months because I won’t get the chance again.”

 

It was late now; her parents had gone to bed hours ago. Rey had watched from the windows of her room as Ben came running from the trees. He had been stopped by her father who was sitting on the natural stone patio that was outside her door. Her father had locked the door from the outside so that it could no longer be used as a portal to allow inappropriate activities to take place.

 

The shocked expression on the boy’s face was probably priceless, but there was no humor in what her father had told him. Rey had heard every word the two males exchanged.

 

_“Surprised to see me, Ben?”_

 

_“Uh, yeah. Hi, Mr. Andor.”_

 

_"You should be surprised. You’re no longer welcome here. You’re not allowed around my daughter.”_

 

“ _What? Why not? What gives—”_

 

Rey had turned away from the windows and flopped onto her bed, holding the pillow that Ben used close to her chest. It smelled like him. She had laid there until her father came in to say goodnight and to tell her that she was grounded until school started. She wasn’t allowed to go out without a parent chaperoning her. She was only allowed female friends at the house. No credit card, no cell phone, no car. All her calls would be monitored because she now had to use the house phone to make and receive calls. Even her computer was taken away. The only enjoyment Rey would have now would be her dogs, makeup, and garden.

 

With a sigh, the girl picked out a video game and began a virtual crime spree that didn’t dissipate her anger until the sun was coming over the tops of the trees.

 


	15. This Really Sucks

It had been an understatement that Ben had been surprised to see Mr. Andor sitting in a deck chair on Rey’s patio. He was downright flabbergasted. Why was the man sitting outside and why was his daughter standing at the windows, looking out at him? Why didn’t Rey come out and greet him?

 

“Surprised to see me, Ben?”

 

“Uh, yeah. Hi, Mr. Andor.”

 

"You should be surprised." The older man cleared his throat. “You’re no longer welcome here. You’re not allowed around my daughter.”

 

“What? Why not? What gives you the right—”

 

“She’s my daughter, and I’m her father. That is what gives me the right!”

 

That had stopped Ben’s argument. “Why?”

 

The man had spent the next few minutes explaining why Ben could not see Rey. They had been caught. He had tried telling the man nothing happened and that he wanted to help Rey. The words had fallen on deaf ears. Dejectedly, he turned back around and into the forest, plodding towards Carrington. The woods came to life as dusk fell and his trudging footsteps faded into the nighttime sounds.

  
Ben didn’t go home though. He thought about it but didn’t feel like explaining to his mom where he had gone. Instead, he went to Hux’s house. His best friend was in his room playing some game with a guitar-shaped controller. Hux thought that video games could teach you anything. This one claimed it could show you how to play guitar. Ben didn’t like the game; he always failed spectacularly.

 

“So, why aren’t you at Andor's house getting it on?” Hux had asked as he put down the controller and turned towards his friend.

 

The dark-haired boy sighed. “I’m never allowed around her again. You can guess what happened.”

 

“You got caught.”

 

“Yeah. I’m not allowed to call her, text her, email her, etcetera. I think that’s hilarious because I don’t own a cell phone or a computer that has internet access.”

 

After that his night just got worse as Rose burst into Hux’s bedroom, ranting. Everyone knew about her history with Calrissian. The man had made it no secret that he had taken advantage of the girl and she was “dumb” enough to believe everything that came out of his mouth. Ben knew that Rose and Rey had gone shopping that afternoon. It wasn’t a shock to find out that Rey bought new makeup or underwear but the fact that Calrissian had come up to them and talked to Rey was. She never called him to tell him that she had met Calrissian.

 

“I know Rey is my friend, but she was… I don’t know, starry-eyed over him; totally gross, ugh. I got pizza tonight and yes, Hux I brought you some. Anyways, Lando was in the shop talking about how he went up to the Andor's house and gave Rey his number. She flirted with him.”

 

“Where’s the pizza?” Hux asked. He was answered by a pillow flying at his head.

 

“I am talking about something important! Your stomach can wait. Jeez,” Rose huffed. “Anyway, um, douchelord is trying to make moves on your girlfriend, Solo. Oh, and I’m kicking your ass. Sex is not a birthday gift. I told your girlfriend this.”

 

Hux had been pouting but perked immediately up. “You got caught—“

 

“NO!” Ben shouted. “No! I’ve been sleeping at her house because it helps her sleep. When I’m not there, she doesn’t sleep. Rey can’t sleep.”

 

“So, she has a bad case of insomnia, big deal. You got caught sleeping with her, and her father wigged out? I don’t think so; not buying that. He caught you all doing something else.”

 

Rose’s eyebrows disappeared into her bangs. “Is that what’s wrong with her?”

 

Taking a deep breath, Ben knew that he had said too much. He had to do some damage control and quick, but how? “Uh, kind of. There is more to it than that.”

 

“Like?” Rose asked. She looked concerned. Ben knew Rose knew Rey was sick, but it was clear she didn't know the extent of it.

 

“Well, I can’t really say. She made me promise not to tell anyone.”

 

“Just spit it out, Solo!”

 

“For being small, you’re obnoxious,” Ben said as the girl rolled her eyes. “She can’t sleep. It is impossible for her to sleep.”

 

“Insomnia?” Rose offered, and Ben shook his head.

 

“You can live if you're an insomniac. Try adding fatal and familial to that.”

 

“ _Fatal familial insomnia_? What is that?”

 

Ben gave a cynical snort of laughter, “The worst news I ever got.”

 

The next morning Ben was awakened by his best friend throwing stuff on him. “What the hell man?” he mumbled as he sat up. His back was killing him, and all Hux had to offer to sleep on was a scratchy blanket; Ben wadded that up to use as a pillow.

 

“C’mon. Football practice,” Hux said. “I’m gonna drop you off at your house so you can get your gear and car. I’d take you to practice, but I’m going with Rose to the park. Maybe you and Andor—right, never mind.” His friend was quick to shut his mouth and get dressed. “C’mon Ben, if we’re not there, do you know what is going to happen? Coach is going to kick our ass. I’m not running extra laps because of you. Sorry man.”

 

The dark-haired boy slowly got to his feet and stretched. So far last night was the worst night of this month. Rose had come up with this brilliant plan to keep Ben and Rey together because she didn’t want Rey to end up with Lando Calrissian. It was so stupid though; passing notes to each other like they were in junior high or something. When Rose called Rey, Ben would be there to talk to her as well.

 

As Ben rode in Hux’s car to his house which was less than two blocks away, he began to think. Why were her parents so stubborn about this? Sleep was helping Rey. Her panic attacks weren’t very noticeable. It wasn’t even like she had entered the second stage of her disease. It wasn’t like they were doing anything else. Ben didn’t feel comfortable about even discussing sex with Rey. He wanted to wait but knew that there wasn’t enough time to wait and she wanted it now, now, now!

 

Hux let him off in front of his house and bid him goodbye, but Ben stopped him before he drove off. “Look, tell Coach that I’m sick and won’t be at practice. Tell him it’s the stomach flu or something.”

 

“Man, you are going to die if I do that,” Hux said, pushing his long bangs out of his eyes. “Anything else? Want me to move the mountain or perhaps part the ocean?”

 

“Can I get Rose’s number, just in case I need to ask Rey something?”

 

He didn’t want to go behind Mr. and Mrs. Andor's back, but there was no way that he could stay away from Rey. He wanted to be with her. It took him several minutes to summon the courage to dial Rey’s cell number, and when that brought him to her voice mail, he dialed the house phone number.

 

“Andor.” 

 

The boy swallowed. It was her voice, and he couldn’t reply. Rey had picked up the phone, and his throat wouldn’t work to get words out. “Hello? Hello? If this is Phasma Snoke, I’m so not in the mood for this. Hello?!”

 

“Hi,” he finally said.

 

There was a gasp and a thud. It sounded like Rey dropped the phone. There was some scratching and some breathing. “I can’t talk to you. You know this.” Her voice was barely audible.

 

“Rey, who are you talking to?”

 

Her mother.

 

Ben groaned. “Just tell me what is going on.”

 

The girl must have ignored him. “It’s no one, Mom. I said hello three times, and no one answered.”

 

“Then hang up the phone.”

 

That was it, the line went dead, and Ben hung up the phone on the cradle. He sat down slowly on the couch with his face in his hands, trying to think of a solution to this problem. Perhaps Rey was done with him and had moved onto Calrissian. And maybe Phasma would become a nice person, and she would become best friends with Rey.

 

Hell would freeze over first.

 

He sighed and wished that the white SUV that had pulled through town earlier this year had contained a boy instead of a girl; or at least a girl that hadn’t gotten involved with him. Ben stood, preparing to go take a shower but the phone rang. He picked the receiver up and mumbled, “Hello?”

 

“Solo, man, I told you that I would get this situation under control. You totally blew my plans,” Rose snapped through the phone. “Why did you call her?”

 

Ben sighed and sat back down. He didn’t know how to describe what he was feeling, but it was something close to anger. “I don’t know why! Maybe it’s because I want to know what is going on and how she is doing!”

 

He could hear the girl sigh. “She’s hysterical and called me crying. I’m pulling into her driveway right now. I’m going to talk to her and then I’ll be at your house after I’m done because I know you’re not at practice.”

 

“Well duh, I’m talking to you on the phone so how can I be at practice?”

 

“I’m kicking your ass, Ben.”

 

He waited and waited until his mother came home then he went up to his room until she called him back down for supper. Ben didn’t feel like eating, pushing his food around until the phone rang, which made him jump up from the table and run over to the phone.

 

“Hello?” His voice sounded desperate.

 

“Ben!” It was his grandmother.

 

He didn’t talk to her long and quickly handed the phone over to his mother then retreated to his room again. He stared at the ceiling for a while before falling asleep. The next thing he knew, his alarm was beeping at him to get up. Ben didn’t get out of bed though. He lay there in the early morning hours once again staring at the space above him. He had to get motivated though. If he wasn’t at practice today, then the football coaches would kill him.

 

It was like he was trying to move through molasses just to do anything so Ben decided a cold shower would wake him up. After the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and ran up to his room to get his clothes on and grab his equipment. He had just put on his running shoes when his mom’s head popped up over the railing.

 

“Ben?”

 

“Hey, Mom.”

 

“Are you alright?” Leia asked as she walked the rest of the way up the stairs. The boy watched as his mother looked around the room. “You seemed so—I don’t know, distressed yesterday. Is there anything I can do to help?”

 

Ben swallowed the sarcastic remark and shook his head. The woman frowned and then looked around again. “You know Ben; I never asked you if you wanted to be in football, I just put you in it. You seemed excited enough to play it when you were younger but since you’ve been on the high—“

 

“Mom, it's fine. Football is not my problem at the moment.”

 

His mother sighed, “I just want you to be successful and happy. I hope you know that.”

 

“I know. I would love to have a heart to heart chat with you, but I’ve got to get to practice,” Ben said.

 

The woman gave him a one arm hug and then nodded. “Go get ‘em, tiger,” she said with a smile on her face.

 

It really seemed like the coaches were trying to punish Ben that morning because he was so tired when he got home he failed to notice Rose sitting in her tiny car in front of his house. He pulled into the driveway behind his mother’s car and got out, leaving his things in the trunk and started walking towards the house.

 

“Solo?” Rose called out as she shut her own car door.

 

The boy looked at her. “Oh, so now you finally decide to drop by.”

 

“Dude, shut up. You didn’t have to deal with what I dealt with last night,” Rose said putting her hands on her hips and glaring at Ben.

 

Ben sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I suppose you had to deal with Rey which I could have dealt with that. I would have loved to deal with that. Instead, I was left in suspense; waiting at home and trying not to go crazy because I received no information!”

 

“Oh, come on. You’re such a pansy. You can deal without your girlfriend for a bit. Can we go inside? It’s kind of hot out here.” Rose snapped back and walked past Ben up onto the porch.

 

Rose didn’t see the boy roll his eyes and he knew that if she had seen it, she would have threatened to beat him up. He climbed the few stairs and opened the door to the house which was cool compared to the temperature outside. Ben motioned for the girl to enter the house first and then followed after her. Rose immediately walked over to the couch and flopped down, while Ben remained standing.

 

He tried to be patient, but he couldn’t handle Rose slouched on his couch with her eyes closed. “Well? What’s going on at her house? How is she doing? How come you didn’t call me yesterday like you said you would?”

 

The girl sighed. “Ben, do you know what it is like to spend a whole night awake with Rey?” Rose cracked open one of her eyes and looked at Ben. The boy shook his head.

 

“It’s kind of like watching a nightmare unfold, and you can’t stop it. I spent the night at her house last night; that’s why I didn’t call you. She’s in terrible shape right now; crying, panic attacks and she rocks back and forth constantly since she has been unable to see you. She won’t eat, but she’ll drink.” Rose said in a quiet voice. “She told me everything last night, and I can’t imagine how a normal person would deal with what Rey is going through.”

 

“Did you know that most people with FFI usually show symptoms of it when they’re middle-aged? Rey is only a teenager. What happened? She hates calendars; hates people reminding her what day it is. It’s too much like counting down the days until the end. She liked watching you sleep because you looked so peaceful. She’s seen you with morning wood. I had to explain to her what that was.”

 

Ben’s face turned a deep red, and he could feel the blush creep down his neck. He quickly sat down in the recliner that his mom liked to sit in at night and read. “What else did she say?” he managed to squeak out.

 

“Not much. We played some video games. I’m amazed how good she is at shooting games, but she says that it won’t last for long. Her reflexes are already starting to decrease. We did make plans for something though…” Rose trailed off and looked at Ben.

 

“Plans?”

 

The Asian girl shrugged, “Yeah, plans. Rey said that you’d probably not go for it, but I think you’re desperate enough to do it.”

 

“I’m not desperate.”

 

“Right. This weekend you’re going to come over to my house around nine p.m. Rey will already be there. You’ve guys have until one in the morning until I boot your ass out and go to bed,” Rose said smiling.

 

“You’re just going to let Rey stay awake unattended?” Ben asked.

 

Rose rolled her eyes as if she was annoyed, “As if she’s dangerous. Well, she could be. Her mood is volatile. She's not Phasma; I wouldn’t let Phasma stay awake in my house while I went to bed. Hell, I wouldn't even spit on Phasma if she was on fire.”

 

Ben talked to Rose for a few more minutes, and she left. The entire week passed slowly, and it seemed to antagonize Ben. It was Saturday night at nine o’ clock, and he was sitting at the bottom of her driveway in his car looking at the Victorian house the Tico’s had purchased when they moved here. He took a deep breath before pulling into the driveway that wrapped around the house. He stopped once he got to the back of the house because he saw Rey and Rose sitting in lawn chairs in front of a fire pit with some drinks.

 

He couldn’t get out of the car quick enough. Seeing Rey and her face lit by the firelight took his breath away. Ben leaped over the picket fence and ran to Rey, picking her up and swinging her around. They both missed the fact that Rose had gotten up out of her chair and slipped into the house. To Ben, Rey was the only thing in his world right now.

 

"Hey," he said.

 

"Don't hey me."

 

The two teenagers spent most of their time sitting in one chair; Ben kept Rey on his lap, nuzzling her hair or ears. They made out. They talked. All Ben could think about was the fact that he would never be able to thank Rose properly for this. He woke the next morning in his car sitting in the Tico’s driveway with Rose staring at him, hands on her hips. Rey stood next to her smiling.

 

“She slept,” Rose said pointing at Rey. “I don’t know for how long, but she slept, Solo. You had better think of a way back into Rey’s bedroom because I so totally don’t want to lose my best friend.”

 

Rose stalked away, and Ben smiled at Rey. “I’ve got to go, I probably overstayed my welcome,” he said.

 

The brunette girl laughed. “She’ll get over it. I promise,” Rey replied.

 

Ben beckoned for the girl to come closer and when she did, he reached up and kissed her. Within ten minutes he was home, and his mom was on the phone.

 

“Hey Ben!” his mom chirped when she hung up. “There’s breakfast on the stove; scrambled eggs and toast. I thought you were going to be home last night. Did you stay at Hux’s?”

 

“Uh, yeah,” Ben replied. “He played video games, I watched.”

 

“Look, I know this is short notice, but I’m going to be leaving for a teaching conference at the end of July. I’m sorry kiddo but it’s a real opportunity for me to perhaps incorporate some new stuff into my curriculum for you seniors this year,” Leia said to Ben as she organized papers into neat piles at the kitchen table.

 

“How many days is it? A week or a weekend?”

 

“Just the weekend. I know you could probably survive longer without me, but I’d miss you,” the woman said teasingly.

 

Ben blushed slightly. “C’mon Mom. I’m going upstairs to get some fresh clothes, take a shower, eat and then go for a run.”

 


	16. Deception

Rey was shooting bad guys in a game, while Rose sat beside her, eating popcorn. There was a pizza box on the floor, along with several bottles of soda. The brown-haired girl had invited her friend over for a night of video games and snacks. It was also a night of questions and passing messages to Ben through Hux.

 

“There’s one back there. No over to the—Woman! The left!” Rose said before her phone beeped. “Do you not know your directions? Are you directionally challenged? Look, this is left and that is right. No! Ugh, your other right.”

 

The other girl laughed. “Your face is so expressive. I’ve never met anyone who’s eyebrows go that high.”

 

This statement made Rose glower at Rey. “It’s only because I’m so opinionated.”

 

Beep. Rey automatically paused the game and picked up Rose’s phone which was in her lap. A grin spread over her face while Rose rolled her eyes. “Ugh, at first your relationship with Solo was cute but now it’s gone into the sickening territory.”

 

“Really?” Rey asked in a sarcastic tone as she opened the text message. It said it came from Hux, but she knew it was Ben. The message was surprising that she let out a small shriek. “Oh my gosh, this is perfect!”

 

“Hey! Hey! Do not drop my phone! Are you insane? Do you know how much that thing cost me?” Rose said as she caught the device as Rey jumped up from her sitting position. The Asian girl quickly scanned the text, her eyes opening wide.

 

Rey was practically bouncing up and down. “So? What’s it like?”

 

“What is what like?” Rose asked, looking up at her friend.

 

“You know, what’s _it_ like?”

 

“Oh no. No, no, no. Absolutely not!” Rose said. The girl placed a hand on her forehead and sighed. “No.”

 

Her reaction was to pout. Rey looked at her friend, bottom lip quivering slightly with her arms folded over her chest. “What do you mean no? You’re not my mom! You can’t tell me—“

 

Rose rolled her eyes again. “Look, just because his mom is going out of town for a weekend doesn’t mean your parents are going to let you go over there. You’re clearly wanting to go over there for something they’d seriously frown upon. Solo is chivalrous. He’s not going to go for it.”

 

“I’m not asking you approve of what I’m going to do. I want to know what its like,” she replied softly; Rey’s good mood diminished. “This may be the only opportunity I have.”

 

That made Rose snort. “Pfft, you are going to have plenty of opportunities for that stuff. I know you don’t believe that, but I just don’t see someone like you dying. You’re totally going to kick this FFI in the ass, grow old and wrinkly.”

 

Several hours passed after that and Rey was awake, sitting in the middle of her bed staring into space. Rose had left with the pizza box and soda bottles, telling Rey that she would dispose of the junk food in an environmentally friendly way. She was so lost in her thoughts that she missed the knock at the door and her father coming into the room.

 

“Rey, are you okay?” he asked as he walked over to the bed.

 

“Huh?” she mumbled coming out of her trance. She looked up at him confused. “What are you doing down here? It has to be late.”

 

Her father shrugged and sat down beside the girl. “I come down here every night to check on you. It’s my duty as a dad. You’ve not been resting or sleeping. For several weeks, you’ve done nothing but sit and stare into space.”

 

Rey mimicked her father’s action of shrugging. The girl saw how the man’s shoulders sagged and how his face was lined deeper than it ever had been. Why hadn’t she noticed that her parents were probably far more stressed out than she was? “I have a lot to think about.”

 

“I’m sorry, Rey.”

 

“For what Dad?”

 

“I should have never told your mother about Ben but you have to understand, my only goal in life is to protect you. I was afraid that Ben was after you for only one thing and I didn’t want you to get hurt,” Mr. Andor said in a quiet tone. “I’m sorry for putting so much pressure on you to succeed. I’m sorry that you have this—“

 

The lump in her throat was making it hard to swallow as her dad talked. “You and Mom have always done your best. I can’t blame you guys for that. If I was a –“ Rey had to pause so that she could take a deep breath. She would not and could not cry in front of him. “If I had a child, I’d do the same thing.”

 

“You never met your Gran, but she was a phenomenal woman. She pushed me to do things I would never have done on my own. You’re like her in that sense but you have a fire all your own. Gran was proud of you. I’d write her all the time and send pictures of you,” the man said. “She was the one that told me to go after your mother. I was going to let your mum slip through my fingers but she told me to go after her.”

 

“I didn’t know that,” Rey said. “If you loved Gran so much then why did you sell her property after she passed away?”

 

“I sold the property because it was too expensive to maintain. Old houses like that constantly need to be updated,” he said. Her father frowned, “I know. I don’t like talking about it. I thought I was rather weak and I knew I wasn’t confident. There is a lot you don’t know about your mother and I. We thought we’d have time to tell you things about us, to carry on those memories.”

 

Rey sighed. Everything in her life was coming down to time. There was so much to do and experience but so little time to do anything. “I don’t think you’re weak, Dad. You and Mom have been awesome parents. Given me almost anything I wanted. I've been a brat.”

 

Her father was silent for a few moments. Rey watched as he crossed his arms before speaking. “We didn't give you anything you didn't deserve. You've earned everything.”

 

“A car?” Rey asked, raising her eyebrows and staring at her father.

 

“Well, Carrington isn't Los Angeles. Public transportation is scarce. You could probably walk into town but we thought it would be better if you had your own vehicle,” he replied. “I wish there was something I could give you right now to make you happy.”

 

Rey frowned because she knew her father was right. He couldn't change her mother's mind nor give her years of life. An idea struck the girl as she sat there. “There is something I'd like to request,” she said.

 

“What?”

 

“Could you ask Mom if she'd allow me to stay at Rose's this weekend? Rose's parents are throwing a party, and she wants my help with stuff.”

 

Mr. Andor nodded and left the room. The next morning when Rey came upstairs for breakfast her mother and father were sitting at the dining room table. They were talking quietly as Rey let the dogs outside and then slid into her seat with a bowl of fresh fruit.

 

“Morning,” she said.

 

“Good morning,” her mother replied. “Did you get any rest?”

 

Rey shrugged as she fiddled with a green grape. “I guess the usual. No rest for the wicked.”

 

Her father chuckled, but her mother frowned slightly. “Your father informed me this morning you want to go to Rose's house this weekend and help her with a party.”

 

“Yeah. Her parents are celebrating their wedding anniversary. Rose wants me to help with decorations and other stuff,” Rey said before eating the grape. She chewed slowly and hoped her mother wouldn't ask any more questions. Her stomach was in knots as she sat at the table and ate her breakfast.

 

When she was done eating, Rey took her bowl into the kitchen and set it in the sink. Her mother followed after her. She was somewhat surprised when her mother said, “Rey?”

 

“Yeah?” the girl said as she turned to face her mother.

 

“You may go to Rose's house for the weekend. I think you deserve it. I'll leave your car keys, credit card and phone on the counter Thursday afternoon. I have business in New York and will be there until Friday evening. Please be careful and don't overdo it.”

 

On Friday afternoon, Rey said goodbye to her father and walked out of the house with an overnight bag. She had to restrain herself from running to the vehicle She had been successful. It was all a lie. There was no party at Rose's house.

 

The consequences if she got caught would be huge. It would not be like last time where her mother just took away her phone and car. This would mean constant supervision. It would be worth it though. Spending time alone with Ben would be worth all the trouble she would get into if she was caught.

 

As soon as she pulled into the driveway next to Ben's house, Rey practically jumped out of the vehicle. Ben was leaning against his car with a huge grin on his face. Rey almost tackled him, but he caught her and spun her around.

 

“Hey,” she said as Ben set her feet on the ground. She smiled shyly at him felt herself start to blush. Rey couldn't remember ever feeling this way. She felt awkward and giddy. It was an adrenaline rush, she knew. She had deceived her parents and her body was just producing a chemical response. How long had she spent away from Ben?

 

“Hey,” he echoed.

 

Wrapping her arms tightly around him, Rey buried her face into his neck. “I've missed you so much.”

 

“I missed you too.”

 

“I can't believe I get to spend an entire weekend with you,” she told Ben. “It feels like an eternity since I've seen you.”

 

“I know. C'mon, let's hide your car and then get inside.”

 

The boy helped Rey hide the car by parking it around the block. She sat on the front porch, until she saw him jogging with her overnight bag in his hand. That would have been horrible to leave it in the car then have to go back and get it.

 

Ben took her hand and they said nothing as he opened the door. The moment the barrier was closed, Rey pounced on Ben. She and the boy fell onto the sofa; Rey's lips came into contact with Ben's and her hands yanked his shirt up. She wanted nothing between her and Ben, but she was stopped. Ben's hands encircled her wrist, which made her pull back from the kiss. Rey pouted at Ben but he was smiling and she felt very confused.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing,” he replied.

 

“Why did you stop me?”

 

Ben released her hands, his fingertips sliding up her arms. The touch sent shivers through her body. Goosebumps raised on her skin as his hands came to rest on her neck, before Ben slowly and gently tugged her down. His kiss was soft “We have time. We don't have to rush anything.”

 

“I know but—”

 

“No buts. Let things happen.”

 


	17. Caught

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there is sexual activity in this chapter...

When Rey texted Hux's phone to tell him she'd be spending the weekend that his mother would be gone at his house, Ben couldn't believe it. He gave his mom a shopping list and she didn't say a word. He cleaned his room, changing the sheets on his bed and finding a different blanket. He even went as far to ask Hux for a favor. Ben had called his friend instead of going over to his house. He didn't think he could ask Hux in person.

 

“You want me to buy what?” Hux had asked.

 

“Dude, are you really going to make me repeat what I just said?”

 

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

 

Ben huffed. “You heard me the first time; why do I have to repeat it?”

 

“Because,” Hux said laughing. “I like being a dick. Say it Solo.”

 

“Ugh, Hux.” Ben muttered. “Can I have a couple of condoms? Do you have any extra or would you go buy me a box? I have money so I can pay for them.”

 

There was more laughter from the other end of the line, which made Ben grit his teeth together. “Just forget about it,” he snapped. “I don't care if the entire town knows I bought condoms.”

 

“No man, look, I got an extra box you can have. I'll drop them off after I pick Rose up from her house,” Hux said.

 

“Don't you dare do that. If you do that, then Rose will get on my ass. I'm not saying that we will do anything, I just don't—”

 

“Ben, chill man. You don't have to explain your love life with me. I could care less if you and Andor are getting it on.”

 

“But your girlfriend—”

 

Hux once more interrupted Ben. “My girlfriend is a nosy, meddling, bitch who more than likely will say she's trying to protect her best friend.”

 

“Whoa,” Ben replied. He had never heard Hux talk about a girl he was seeing like that. “You okay?”

 

“Rose's getting on my nerves with her “I'm an opinionated Asian woman.” routine,” his friend said. “I don't care if she has an opinion for everything. It's like she constantly wants to challenge me. I'm not looking for fights or drama.”

 

Ben took a brief second to think about Rose. Ever since the Ticos had moved to Carrington, the girl had been loud and opinionated. “Dude, you just noticed this?”

 

The other boy sounded like he was whining when he spoke. “Yeah, I mean Rose's been part of the reject table forever. The only reason I noticed her was because she's your girlfriend's best friend. This is totally your fault.”

 

“Suck it up, man. If you don't like Rose then why did you start dating her?” Ben asked, switching the phone to his other ear.

 

“She eats what she wants and doesn't care what other people think about her. Rose's also awesome at—”

 

It was Ben's turn to interrupt. “I don't want to hear this. Like you just said I don't care about your love life. I also don't care about your sex life.”

 

A laugh from Hux. “At least I have one, which is more than you can say. Though if you can manage to get the ice queen in bed...”

 

“Hux!” Ben sputtered. “It's not her. I'm the one—”

 

After that, Hux insulted Ben several more times, and then they hung up. The dark-haired boy was worried his friend wouldn't show but around five P.M. Hux knocked on the front door before he opened it.

 

Ben had been flipping through TV channels when a small box hit him in the face. He looked down in his lap at the object then at Hux. “What the hell?”

 

“Rose says if you hurt Rey, she'll castrate you then use your penis as a wicked and somewhat demented science experiment,” Hux stated before he shut the door.

 

“Wait, Hux! What?” Ben yelled, standing up from where he was sitting.

 

The door opened again and Hux's dark hair came through again. “Do you want Rose to come in and kick your ass? No? Okay then. Read the instructions on the box; go slow and don't rush it. You'll do fine.”

 

The door shut again, Ben sat alone and speechless. He looked down at the small black box and said to it, “You know waiting until I'm married seems much easier.”

 

Now Rey was in his arms trying to tear his clothes off but still Ben was able to hold her. He had stopped Rey because he wanted to do things right. Not have another random couch encounter, like what happened on her birthday.

 

“Ben,” Rey said as she came down the stairs from his room. “What do you have planned for this weekend?”

 

“Nothing special; a picnic, dinner, maybe some shopping or hiking.” He was in the kitchen standing against the counter. He had sent Rey upstairs so that she could put her bag in his room. “Is there something you want to do?”

 

Rey shrugged. “I don't know. Breakfast in bed sounds good. Candle lit baths and sleeping beside you.”

 

He gave her a small smile. “Well, all that was a given. Anything else, milady would like?”

 

“No,” she replied.

 

The boy frowned then walked towards her. “Rey, if it doesn't happen this weekend, I'll make sure we have plenty of chances to be alone together.”

 

“If it doesn't happen this weekend, then it'll never happen because if my parents find out I lied to them, then they'll kill me,” Rey quickly said.

 

“They're not going to find out. I'm sure Rose will confirm anything you've told them.” He told her. The girl sighed, and to Ben, Rey didn't seem so sure of this.

 

He had never met a girl who was so focused on sex and losing her virginity. He had never really dwelled on the subject, maybe a bit more than usual since he had a girlfriend. Ben didn't think of getting laid constantly like Hux did. Ben didn't really see how Mr. Andor thought he would take advantage of his daughter when his daughter tried to repeatedly tear his pants off.

 

“Patience grasshopper,” Ben said as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Now, if you're settled we have a picnic to attend.”

 

“A picnic? Where?”

 

He didn't tell Rey where they were going. Ben just grabbed the basket off the counter then took her hand. He had thought about several locations around Carrington that he could take her but none of them seemed very special. The one place that he knew about and no one would disrupt them would be the secluded beach that was about thirty minutes south of town. Ben only knew about it because it was part of his uncle Luke's farm. It was something he had stumbled upon while exploring the vast property.

 

Rey was quiet during the drive through the woods. Ben wondered what she was thinking about. Probably thinking about what they had talked about earlier. His grip tightened on the steering wheel. If only his mother had raised him differently.

 

Leia Organa had made sure her son would be polite to women and always was a gentleman. She also had told him to wait until he was married to have sex. That was virtually impossible because the girl he wanted to marry wasn't going to be around that long. With a sigh Ben shook his head. This was supposed to be a happy time, not one filled with doubts and worries.

 

Several minutes later, Ben pulled his car into his uncle's gravel driveway. He was hoping that his uncle's truck wouldn't be there but it was and Luke was standing next to it. The older man said nothing, merely raised his eyebrow as the two teenagers exited the vehicle.

 

“Ben, how you doing kid?” Luke said coming toward the car. “You could have called. I heard Leia was going out of town and was gonna stop by to see if you needed anything.”

 

“I'm doing okay, Uncle Luke. Don't need anything. Mom left me money, she said it in case I ran out of milk and I think she left some for me to get some pizza,” the boy replied. “Sorry, I didn't call to tell you I was coming out but I thought you were still working on your neighbor's house.”

 

The man shook his head. “Been done with that place since last week. Who's this? Is this the girlfriend that my sister has been telling me about?”

 

Ben glanced at Rey who looked like she wanted to run and hide. Perhaps, he should have told his girlfriend where they were going, and they might meet someone. He didn't even think about it. “Yeah, this is Rey Andor. Rey, my uncle Luke. Uncle Luke, Rey.”

 

Luke must have picked up on Rey's nervousness because he nodded at her instead of shaking her hand. “Well, I hate to turn you kids away but I'm late for a business meeting,” the older man said.

 

“I was wondering if we could use the beach? I promise to clean up our mess and take the trash with us,” Ben asked.

 

The man rubbed his chin which had a light dusting of blonde stubble across it. “The keys to the ATV are hanging on the wall in the kitchen but don't take it all the way down to the beach. You'll be walking back to your car and I'll have to haul the thing back here.”

 

“Okay, Uncle Luke,” Ben said before the man got into his truck and drove away. He then looked at Rey who was visibly upset. “Rey, I didn't know he'd be here.”

 

“You could have told me where we were going!” She snapped at him. “You took me out of my comfort zone! Introduced me to someone new! I could have had a total breakdown! Did you ever consider—”

 

While Rey ranted, Ben quietly walked over to the other side of the car, where she was standing. His arms encircled her waist and he pulled her closer, his mouth cutting her words short with a kiss. “I am sorry. It will never happen again,” he whispered against her mouth.

 

The rest of their time at Luke's farm was uneventful. The two swam then ate their picnic dinner in peace and quiet. Afterward, they lay on the warm sand until the sun started to set. It wasn't until Ben was pulling into his own driveway did Rey finally say something to him.

 

“I had fun tonight, thanks,” she said to him with a smile on her face.

 

Ben picked up Rey's hand and pressed a kiss against it. “I wish I could make everyday fun for you.”

 

The next morning Ben woke to see Rey watching him. He had insisted that he sleep on the floor while she took the bed. Of course Rey had complained but Ben just tucked her in and crawled into the sleeping bag he had dug out of his closet.

 

The boy sat up and stretched. “Good morning,” he said before he yawned. “Did you sleep?”

 

The girl shrugged, “I think I did, but I don't know.”

 

Unzipping the bag and standing up, Ben didn't even think about the fact that he was just wearing boxers. He heard Rey gasp and he glanced at her. Was he having a wardrobe malfunction or something? Oh... For the first time in his life, he cursed himself for being male. She looked like she was going to pounce on him.

 

“Whoa, no!” He said, backing away from the bed. She merely smirked and tossed back the blanket. Ben instantly knew he was stupid for refusing her. Stupid, stupid, stupid because she was only wearing a tank top and a pair of low cut panties. Ben made the joking statement, “Down girl.”

 

“It'd be such a waste—” she started to say.

 

“No, a cold shower takes care of these things,” Ben quickly explained. He felt like some mouse that a cat was chasing. He knew that the “cat” though didn't have as good reflexes as he did. Luckily, he didn't have to outmaneuver Rey. She was still standing by the bed and he was at the top of the stairs. All he had to do was run, really fast and lock himself in the bathroom. But did he really want to?

 

He emerged from the bathroom almost thirty minutes later. Rey was sitting in the living room, texting someone when Ben walked into the room wearing a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. She looked up at him and then smiled but her phone beeped which made her look back down at it.

 

“What do you want for breakfast?” Ben asked as he sat beside her.

 

She glanced at him, “Well, I don't know. What do _you_ want to _make_ me for breakfast?”

 

“Bacon?” He watched as Rey made a face at that and shook her head. “Eggs? No? Cereal? Simple, but not really romantic. Toaster waffles? Pancakes? French toast?”

 

“Oooh! That sounds really good!” Rey nodded excitedly. “With some fruit, real butter, and real maple syrup.”

 

“Does it have to be real?”

 

“Do you know what kind of chemicals and other substances go into fake pancake syrup?”

 

Ben shook his head. “You're going to deal with fake syrup and butter,” he said smiling.

 

He went out to the kitchen and Rey followed closely behind. Ben watched as she hoisted herself onto the countertop to sit and he was reminded of what happened in the kitchen after their first fight. He could feel himself blush and quickly got everything he needed to make Rey the breakfast she wanted. Twenty minutes later, he sat down at the table with two plates heaping with french toast. The only fruit that was in the house was several bananas which he had cut and put on top of the bread.

 

“Do you honestly think I am going to eat all of this?” Rey asked.

 

Ben nodded as he slathered each piece he had with butter. “If you don't eat it, I will. It's only four pieces.”

 

The girl shook her head, “Boys are pigs.”

 

They spent the morning at his house, Ben tried to keep Rey at an arms length away but she had cuddled up to him when they were watching one of those sad chick flicks on TV. Her hand drifted dangerously close to the zipper of his shorts so Ben was on guard and prepared to take her hand away.

 

He didn't even realise what was happening until it was too late. Rey kept leaning over him to put her water glass on the end table, until she practically sitting in his lap, her chest at his eye level. He swallowed hard as he noticed she wasn't wearing a bra. She still had on the sheer tank top she had slept in and a pair of shorts that suspiciously looked like a pair of his basketball shorts.

 

“Are those mine?” he asked, touching the hem of one leg.

 

“Were yours. I stole them today,” she said in a smug tone. “If you want them back you're going to have to take them off.”

 

He almost fell for it, putting his hands where the waistband sat on her hips. He stopped for a moment; it dawned on him what Rey wanted him to do. “Nice try,” he said.

 

“Oh, for fuck sakes, Ben!”

 

“What?”

 

“What is it going to take?”

 

He scrunched up his face in confusion. “What do you mean?”

 

“You said you were waiting for the right moment. Your mom isn't here. There is a bed upstairs. I'm willing—Here, just to prove a point.“

 

Ben watched as Rey cut her words short and took her shirt off, flinging it across the room. He was pretty much left speechless as her naked chest was exposed. Did Ben have the guts to do this? Could he control himself until he thought the time was right? The gentleman side of his brain was saying to him that he could wait until the perfect time while the teenage boy side was goading him to _touch_ her... Now.

 

So, he decided to listen to the latter part of his brain. He moved his hands slowly from her hips up along the curve of her waist toward her breasts. Ben had to convince himself that this was okay and he was just doing what normal boy would do. His lips pressed to the pulse point on her neck, sucking gently. His thumbs brushed the small curve of her chest and it didn't take much to cup the skin.

 

And the teenage boy voice inside his head was cheering him on, hooting like some die-hard fan at a sporting event. It went quiet inside his head as Rey rolled her hips. Ben's breath caught in this throat and his head fell against the back of the sofa. Why was he even protesting the idea of sex?

 

One reason because they were on his mother's couch. Why was it that they always ended up on the damn couch? Uh, reason two... Ben's mind went blank as Rey took his shirt off and threw it behind her. He couldn't help miss that it landed on the TV, hiding half of the screen. His girlfriend pressed her chest against his and Ben reached up to pull Rey's head down. Their lips connected and he felt all of his common sense fly out the window.

 

Couch be damned, he was going to make Rey happy.

 

Ben pushed Rey to the side so she was sitting on her own couch cushion and then pushed her back. She complied and he took a deep breath as he grabbed the leg of her new shorts, pulling them down her legs.

 

It was the second time Ben had seen an actual female naked, so naturally, he stared at what he saw and then sputtered, “Wow, you're actually a brunette. Huh.”

 

“What? What is wrong with you?”

 

“Wait, why aren't you wearing underwear?”

 

“What?” Rey said, a confused expression on her face. “There is a naked girl in front of you, and all you can say is I have brown hair?”

 

“The carpet matches the drapes. I'm surprised because there have been bets going around school that you dyed your hair and eyebrows,” Ben replied, still staring at Rey's body.

 

“And you worry that I'm not wearing underwear. What kind of warm-blooded male are you?”

 

Ben blushed then lean down to kiss Rey again. “I'm the kind that cares?” He said, his tone questionable. “Should I take off my shorts?”

 

Rey started laughing and he felt very bewildered. The girl shook her head and pushed Ben off her. He fell onto the floor with a loud thunk. “No, I'm going to go get properly dressed then we're going to the mall.”

 

“The mall?” Ben asked as he slowly got to his feet, watching Rey pick up the various pieces of clothing she had hurled around the room. He gestured to his lap. “But—but—but this... this is serious!”

 

“A cold shower will take care of it.”

 

An hour later, they were sitting at the food court with five shopping bags in the chair next to Ben. He was devouring a sandwich while Rey sipped on some kind of cold coffee drink. “So can I ask a question?”

 

“You just did, Ben, but go ahead.”

 

“Why didn't we—you know?” he asked, dipping a fry in ketchup.

 

He watched as Rey raised an eyebrow and then gently shook her cup. “Are you suddenly going to become a sex-crazed boyfriend?”

 

Ben shook his head, “No, I'm just curious.”

 

“You're adorable when you're clueless, do you know that?” Rey stated, “One, you commented about my pubic hair. Of course, I'm a brunette. Two, you commented about my lack of underwear. Three, you asked if you should take your shorts off. I would assume that would be vital to have sex.”

 

The boy blushed and then cleared his throat. “In my defense, I've never have had a girl strip down to nothing for me,” he replied. “That time I was in your bathroom while you took a shower doesn't count because I had my eyes closed most of the time.”

 

“Internet porn? Ever hear of it?”

 

Ben couldn't believe they were having this conversation in public; he could feel his face getting warmer. “Hux has shown me that stuff, but it was all fake. You're real. I can actually touch you and feel you.”

 

“Of course, Hux showed you,” Rey said. “Did you get your condoms from Hux?”

 

“What?!”

 

“The condoms that are under your bed? Rose said that he gave you some, are those the ones he gave you?”

 

“Rey! We are in public and there are people around!” Ben's face felt as hot as a stove on Thanksgiving day. “Yes, he gave me those. What's your problem with Hux?”

 

Ben watched as the corner of Rey's eye started twitching. After a full minute of silence she reached up and rubbed her eye then said, “Nothing. Can we go back to your house? I want to lay down for a bit.”

 

The boy jumped up to grab the shopping bags and then helped Rey out of her chair. She was shaking slightly and he wondered if her condition was worsening further. It didn't seem like Rey had a problem with Hux before but just a minute ago she seemed to despise him.

 

When he brought the girl back to his house, Rey didn't come downstairs until it was almost dark. Ben had been doing some yard work (pulling weeds and trimming the bushes), while she was upstairs laying in his bed. He now sat on the couch with a bowl of popcorn watching a movie with lots of explosions.

 

“That was stupid,” he remarked as Rey moved the popcorn bowl off his lap and took its place. “That bad guy just lit a match and threw it into a pool of gas. His car blew up.”

 

“Most villains don't have brains,” she said.

 

Ben rubbed her back. “I ordered pizza for supper. I hope you don't mind. Do you feel better?” He asked, after giving her a kiss. As if there was a cue, the doorbell rang. Ben dug into his pocket before he stood then walked over to the door.

 

“One medium veggie and one medium pepperoni for Solo,” a male voice said. “What's up, Bench? Coaches gonna let you play this year?”

 

The teen boy rolled his eyes. Lando Calrissian. The man had called Ben “Bench” since he had been in high school. “You know you could grow up, Calrissian,” Ben replied.

 

“Whatever. Is that Rey Andor? What is she doing here? Hey Rey, how's it going? You never did call me,” Lando said. “You dating Solo?”

 

Ben desperately wished that murder would become legal as he watched Rey nod her head. He tightened his fist around the money he had in his hand. “Yeah, she and I've been dating since April, Calrissian.”

 

“Let the woman speak for herself, Solo. Geez, what a douche. You know Rey, if you want to have a good time and be treated right, you have my number.”

 

Ben grabbed the pizzas from Lando and threw the money at him before slamming the door. The look on his face was unpleasant as he stomped into the kitchen. He all but tossed the pizza boxes on the kitchen table as the pounding started on the front door. Eventually it stopped when Ben was getting plates out of the cupboard.

 

“He wanted to know if you wanted your change. I told him to keep it,” Rey said quietly. She was standing behind him.

 

“You should have told him to keep his number,” Ben snapped, turning around almost bumping into her.

 

The girl sighed and grabbed one of the plates that Ben had in his hands. She opened one of the boxes then the other one. “Ben, Lando is way too old for me. Rose told me he's a complete jerk. I would never call him.”

 

He shook his head because it was stupid to get upset over Lando Calrissian. “I'm sorry. Calrissian is like my own personal Phasma. I despise him. I just want to use his face as my personal punching bag.”

 

“Have we really been dating since April?” Rey asked putting both kinds of pizza on the plate she had.

 

“Yeah, why?” He asked as he piled pizza onto his own plate. Ben watched as she toyed with a piece of stray pepperoni that was threatening to fall off a slice of pizza.

 

“I don't know,” she said quietly as she sat down at the table. “I mean I see why you don't want to have—you know. It's because we've not been dating long and I'm not going to be around forever.”

 

Ben put his plate on the table and walked over to where Rey was sitting. He pulled her up so that she was standing and promptly kissed her. “That is not the reason. I just want it to be romantic and comfortable for you. I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to be like Hux and lose my virginity because I'm bored. I've told you this.”

 

With that Ben let her go and grabbed his plate. He took it into the living room to finish the movie he was watching. Rey didn't join him but he could hear her in the kitchen, opening the refrigerator, a cupboard.

 

Fifteen minutes passed before Ben heard the shower running. With a sigh, he took his plate out to the kitchen. The pizza boxes were gone, Rey's plate was in the sink. She must have cleaned up the mess. He set the plate on the counter then walked back towards the living room, stopping at the bathroom door.

 

“Rey?” he called out before tapping on the door. There was no answer which made Ben frown and he went upstairs. He looked at his alarm clock, surprised that it was almost nine P.M.. This weekend seemed to fly by. Tomorrow was Sunday; his mom would be back and Rey would go home. He unrolled his sleeping bag and grabbed one of the pillows off his bed.

 

He was laying inside the bag in his pajamas when Rey came upstairs, wearing the same thing she wore to bed last night. A tank top and underwear which made Ben swallow. He knew what lay underneath the fabric. He had to be stupid or a fool.

 

Ben thought Rey would climb onto his bed, but he was shocked that she unzipped the sleeping bag. “Get in the bed with me Ben,” she said, hands on her hips. “If you don't, I'll sleep in this silly thing with you.”

 

“Uh,” he managed to mutter.

 

“C'mon, do you know what that will be like?” Rey said in a low voice as she sank down beside him. Ben thought it was totally sexy. His heart was beating faster. “I'd be pressed against you. You wouldn't be able to go anywhere.”

 

As if to make a point the girl wiggled and Ben's mouth went dry. He could only manage to make an incoherent sound as her body moved against his. Finally, he nodded. “Okay, I'll sleep in the bed with you.”

 

And that's what he did. He fell asleep not long after climbing into the bed with the girl and draping one arm around her waist. He was barely awake when he felt a pressure on his lap.

 

“Ben.”

 

“What time is it?” he mumbled, still sleepy. He rubbed his eyes with his hands and looked up at the voice that spoke to him. It could only have been Rey. He opened his eyes and stared at her for a moment.

 

“I don't know. The sun just finished rising,”

 

So, it was like seven o'clock in the morning? Great. He yawned and stretched, feeling the body sitting on top of him shift as he moved. “Did you sleep?” He watched Rey shrug. “Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you breakfast? Is that why you woke me up so early?”

 

“No,” she said.

 

Ben blinked several times before he realized Rey was sitting on top of him completely naked. Oh. That's why she woke him up. Since his body did belong to a teenage boy, it wanted to comply with what Rey wanted.

 

“Rey, I don't know if I can do this. I've no clue what to do... I mean I know what to do, but I don't know how to—you—I'm gonna hurt you and I don't want to.”

 

The girl smiled shyly as she got off of Ben and slid into the space next to him. “You talk too much. Just go with it.”

 

He leaned down and kissed her forehead before reaching under his bed, extracting the box Hux had brought him. He slowly opened the new package and withdrew one of the small squares. He kicked the blankets off their bodies, took his t-shirt off and then shoved his boxers down his hips. Ben looked down at Rey who was staring at his body. He couldn't help but blush.

 

She put a hand against his chest and Ben's breath caught in his throat. It was her fingers that opened the condom and she was the one that put it on him. He almost lost it when she did that. Ben situated himself between Rey's thighs, taking a deep breath. He didn't want to hurt her; he leaned down and kissed her, trying to procrastinate.

 

The two teens must have been so wrapped up in the moment or each other because they didn't hear the front door opening or the voice that spoke. They also didn't notice someone was coming up the stairs.

 

“BEN SCOTT SOLO!”

 

“Oh, shit! MOM?!”

 


	18. People Aren't Pretty When Falling Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter.

“How could you lie to us, Rey?” Her mother screamed. “HOW?”

 

“You wouldn't let me see him! I had to do something!” Rey yelled back. She was angry. She was mad at her parents. She was irritated at Ben's mom. Everything made her frustrated anymore. She had been dragged out of Ben's house after the meltdown happened. The girl had heard Ms. Organa's scream. She had covered herself with the sheet on Ben's bed. The woman continued to berate her son for a few moments before storming down the steps. The teenagers had heard the teacher talking to someone. 

 

 _"GET DRESSED. THE_ ANDORS _WILL BE HERE SHORTLY!"_ Ms. Organa yelled up the stairs.

 

So, the young couple hastily dressed, stealing glances at each other. She caught him blushing. Rey grabbed all of her stuff before they went downstairs. Ben stopped her. They would be facing the consequences of their actions in a few seconds. 

 

 _"I want you to know that I'm not sorry for this, Rey. I would do it again,"_ Ben whispered before kissing her gently.

 

Rey nodded her head in a numb way. She knew what was coming and her mother hadn't disappointed her. Now that she had been home, _this_ had been going on for several hours. Her mother was making her sit in the living room since she had picked her up from Ben's house. Jyn was livid as she dragged Rey from the small residence after having a screaming match with Ms. Organa.

 

Her father stood there and said nothing as Rey handed him her car keys and told him where it was parked. She had to ride home with her mother. They were silent until they entered the house. Rey tried to go to her room, but her mom stopped her. She had to endure her mother screaming, ranting and yelling for three hours now. It was wearing her out. If Rey hadn't already been exhausted, listening to her mother bitch would have done the job.

 

“And for a good reason! That boy is a bad influence, so is Rose,” her mother stated. “I understand why Ben is, look at his mother.”

 

“What's wrong with Ms. Organa?”

 

“Why is her last name Organa?”

 

“I don't know!” Rey snapped. “I assumed that's what Ben's dad's last name is.”

 

Her mother let out a scalding laugh. “No, Leia Organa's name has been Leia Organa since I've known her. She has a brother named Luke. Her mom's name is Padme. Where is Ben's dad?”

 

Rey clenched her teeth and said, “What does it matter where his dad is?”

 

“Because if he had a father, then he would know what it's like to be a man,” her mother replied without turning around from where she stood at a window that looked out into the yard. “He lured you over there—”

 

“Wrong! I went over there hell-bent on losing my virginity! Ben has kept telling me no. I had to practically force him to do what I wanted to do!” Rey screamed as she jumped up from the couch, where she had been sitting. “Don't blame this on him or Rose. They've both have been telling me, no, and I shouldn't do things like this. This is all me!”

 

While her mother stood there with her mouth open, Rey ran to her room. The girl slammed her bedroom door hard enough to rattle the windows. As soon as the latch clicked into place, the girl sank down to her knees on the floor and started crying. She rocked back and forth as best as she could, trying to calm herself. It didn't help.

 

The tears continued to stream down her face until she felt arms slip under her knees and around her shoulders. She took a breath and smelled her father's cologne. It made him smell like he had freshly showered each time she was around him. Rey felt the swaying motion as he carried her over to the bed. Her father had laid her down under the blankets, kissed her forehead before he disappeared. She closed her eyes, waves of exhaustion crashing over her. When she opened her eyes, he was wiping her face with a warm washcloth. His lips were moving, Rey could tell that much, but she couldn't make out what he was saying.

 

When she woke up a few hours later, Cassian was slumped in the only armchair in the room, dozing as far as she could tell. She sat up, still feeling tired and looked out the window. It was probably late afternoon; she thought as she looked at how the sun was hitting the trees. “Dad?” Rey said tentatively.

 

“Yes, love?”

 

“What time is it? Why aren't you upstairs with Mom?”

 

“Your mum and I fought.”

 

“A fight? About what?”

 

The man shook his head as if he didn't want to discuss it. “Rey, your mother and I love you very much. You scared us. You weren't answering your phone; I was terrified something happened to you. Your mother went over to the Tico's house. When she found out you lied to us, she was furious. When Ms. Organa called and told us what happened, I was a bit disappointed.”

 

“I'm—”

 

He held a hand up to stop her words. “I understand why you did it. You want to be a normal teenager. It's more than that though.”

 

“Dad.”

 

“Please let me finish,” he said. “You feel like you have to cram a lifetime into a few months. I urge you to pick and choose only a few moments to experience. I don't think losing your virginity is a vital life education thing. I'm your father though.”

 

Rey watched the man's shoulder's sag further down. A feeling of guilt overcame her; she tried to shake it off. “I'm sorry I can't be your little girl anymore, Dad.”

 

It was a silly apology, but it was better than nothing.

 

“Rey, you don't have to apologize for anything.”

 

“Yeah, I do,” she said, the panic rising in her throat. “I'm a horrible kid. I am going to die—”

 

Her father jetted out of the chair and came over to the bed, gathering Rey into his arms. “Shh, baby girl.”

 

Rey was quiet for a long time. She sat in her father's embrace, the faces of her friends flashing across her thoughts. Rose and Ben would be the ones affected the most. Her parents—oh God, her parents! A sharp pain ran through her, and she gave a low moan.

 

“We should have never come here; we should have stayed in Los Angeles. I've met so many people I don't want to leave; when I die, do you know how many people will be affected? I'm not a number here! I'm not just a faceless person like I was in out there. People know me here.” Rey let a whine come out of her mouth as the understanding hit her with force, "Dad. Dad, I'm gonna die. Oh, God. No. No. No."

 

“Hopefully people will remember you fondly, love.” Her father stroked her hair and then said, “And the people who are affected will heal with time. Shhhh, Rey. Calm down.”

  

She started rocking trying to dispel the idea. Her parents would be left here without her. How would they cope? How would they go on? She looked up to her father's face. His mouth was moving again. Her eyes rolled back into her head.

 

When she woke up this time, she was in a sterile room. The smell stung her nose. It was annoying, like the way a hospital would smell. The awareness hit her like a train. That's where she was; her parents had put her into a hospital.

 

Why was she here? Where exactly was here?

 

She lifted her hand and saw there was a needle inserted into her skin. The tube ran to a bag that hung above her. “Oh,” she said softly.

 

There was a scrambling noise, and Rey turned her head to see her mother rush to the side of the bed. Jyn Anbor looked very pale and frazzled. Her usually perfectly styled hair was everywhere like she had been running her hands through it. The woman gripped Rey's hand, and the girl tried to yank her hand away. Her limbs felt heavy like they didn't want to move.

 

She didn't want her mother here. Her mother was probably the reason she was here. “Go away.”

 

“Cassian? She just said something. What did she say? Rey, c'mon, repeat it.”

 

“Go away.”

 

Her father came into view and frowned. “Her speech is slurred. I don't know what she said.”

 

Tears didn't spring to her eyes. They burned as Rey looked at her father's troubled face. “I want to see Ben. Please let me see Ben!”

 

“I can't understand her, Jyn,” her father said to her mother.

 

“I want Ben! Ben! Ben! Ben! Ben! Ben! Ben!” Rey had to concentrate hard, and she finally screamed, “Ben!”

 

Her mother's face turned into a scowl, and she straightened up. “That wasn't hard to understand. That boy! That boy has poisoned our baby.”

 

“That boy was trying to help her out. Ben—” Her father's words were cut off.

 

Her mother's mouth was pulled into a very sarcastic smile. “You're the one that told me what those two were doing. You brought her actions to my attention.”

 

“You ignored the most important fact! She was sleeping! Sleeping Jyn! Something she hadn't done in months and you destroyed it by denying her the one thing that could comfort her,” Cassian yelled. He was pacing at the foot of the bed. “We pushed Rey too hard to be perfect. It's our fault.”

 

Rey couldn't take anymore, and blackness slid over her. She didn't want to wake up again. She wanted to continue to sleep, but something tugged at her. The sun was shining brightly into the room. There was a bouquet of peach roses and baby's breath sitting in a vase on her bedside table. Her father was in the bedside chair, holding onto one of her hands. Her mother was nowhere to be found.

 

“Dad?”

 

Her dad startled and looked at her. “You're awake! How do you feel? Do you feel okay? Dizzy?”

 

“I'm fine. Dad, listen. You said—You said that people affected by my death would heal in time. What about you and mom? You were fighting. What are you going to do when I'm gone? I don't want to go if—I can't leave you guys—”

 

“We will heal in time, Rey. It will take longer than your friends. We've had you for seventeen years; your friends have only been around you for five months. I remember bringing you home from the hospital. Your hands were so tiny; you kept scratching your face, so your mother put these newborn socks over your hands,” her dad's eyes were shining with tears. Her eyes mostly burned again. The FFI wasn't allowing her to make tears anymore. “So many stories you'll never know about.”

 

“Is this real? I'm not dreaming am I?” Rey asked feeling incredibly small and child-like. She lifted her hand, feeling the pull of the IV needle.

 

He sighed, “Rey, this is real. You're in a hospital in D.C.; you freaked out twice. The second time you stopped breathing and your mum called 9-1-1. You'll be here for several days.”

 

“Why? What's wrong with me?”

 

“Your blood pressure is extremely high. The doctors are worried you might have a heart attack,” her father replied. “Your mum wanted to be here, but she had a client to tend to today. She'll be back later.”

 

She wanted to laugh at her dad and the doctors. A heart attack would be a better way to die than FFI. One made your heart stop; the other made your brain into Swiss cheese. “You two were fighting,” Rey said quietly. She wanted confirmation.

 

He nodded. “We don't mean to fight. Your mother is taking this badly. She's a mess, although she tries not to show it.”

 

Rey bit her lip. “Why is she taking it out on me? I didn't ask to be born or have this condition! Why is she blaming me for this?”

 

“I think she still expects you to be perfect. When you do rebellious things like go to your boyfriend's house when you were told to stay away from him... Well, that's not exactly perfect in your mum's eyes,” her father answered. The man sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.

 

Her eyes were on fire, but Rey felt tiny tears slipping from her eyes and down her cheeks. “Dad? I'm afraid for you, Mom, Rose, and Ben,” Rey whispered.

 

“Why?”

 

“The scars you can't see are the hardest to heal.”

 

Her father looked like he was going to cry, but instead, the man rubbed his eyes with the backs of his hands. “I'm going to do something for you,” he said.


	19. When Reality Shatters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Star Wars Day!

“Grounded!” Leia Organa yelled into the phone. “I may never let him out of this house, Mother! What he did—Well, no. I don't care if he's a teenager and that's what they do! He was taught better than that! You let Luke do that kind of stuff!”

 

Ben could hear his mother from downstairs, talking—well, yelling at his grandmother. She had been screaming non-stop since she had walked into his room that morning. She shouted at Mrs. Andor, at Rey, at him and now his grandmother was on the end of a verbal tongue lashing. It wasn't the other people's fault. It was his. He should have known better.

 

His mom had said he was grounded until he was eighteen and that wasn't very long. She took away his car and told him she would take him to football practice from now on. Ben told her he really didn't care if he played football ever again. Saying that had made her madder, it if was possible.

 

Supposedly, he was going to waste his life on a teenage girl who probably wanted to trap him into a relationship by getting pregnant. Ben had laughed for a good five minutes. It had been the wrong response because she had sent him to his room where he had been sitting for a couple of hours now.

 

Ben had cleaned his room, hiding the box of condoms in his closet under a couple of loose floorboards. There was enough room down there for a shoebox to fit. He had straightened the bookshelves, made his bed, and picked up his dirty clothes. There was no way that cleaning his room was going to score brownie points with his mom, but it was worth a try.

 

He was sitting on his bed when his mom came up the stairs for the second time that morning. She had a serious look on her face and Ben knew whatever she was going to say, was purely business. The glance at his bed was distasteful and his mom walked over to his desk then grabbed his chair.

 

“You are no longer allowed to see or speak to Rey. I don't want you around Rose or Hux. I've been too relaxed with you. That's my fault, and I'm going to remedy that immediately,” Leia said with an air of authority that Ben had never seen before in his entire short life.

 

“Okay.”

 

His mother's brow furrowed and Ben watched her eyes narrow. “Okay? That's all you have to say is okay?”

 

“What do you want me to say?”

 

“I want you to explain yourself, Ben!” she replied, throwing her hands up. “How long have you been sexually active? I suppose the rumors about how you two met are true? Is she someone from the Internet?”

 

He started laughing again. It sounded cold and bitter to his ears. “Mom, listen to yourself. What you're saying is ridiculous; I've never met Rey before she came here.”

 

“You didn't answer my question.”

 

“The sexually active thing? I've never been sexually active! I've never had sex! This morning was going to be the first time and—and—and—”

 

The look on his mother's face was disbelief. “Right, I'm supposed to believe that. Do you know how reckless your actions were? How irresponsible—”

 

“How was I being irresponsible. I had a condom.”

 

His mother looked shocked for a moment then pressed her lips together. “You are being a fool over a girl, a girl you haven't known all that long. What? Five months? Don't you think that's a little soon to be having sex with someone? What have I always taught you?”

 

Ben shook his head. “You don't understand,” he told his mom.

 

“I don't understand? Ben, I'm an adult. I've been there and done that. I've got more experience then you can imagine. What would have happened had you done this and gotten Rey pregnant? Do you have a job or a college education to support her and a child?”

 

Ben's throat started constricting because he knew. He knew, and his mother didn't. She didn't understand. His mom just could not understand what was going on. There would never be children in Rey's future. When he was able to breathe, he started laughing. It was a mocking, scornful and sarcastic laugh.

 

“This is not funny, Ben! This is serious!” his mother shouted.

 

“I know,” he shouted back, laughter dying on his lips. He stood up and glared at his mom. “You don't understand that there's no need to worry about all that. You don't understand anything that is going on between Rey and I. You're blinded by your own aversion to relationships and sex! Grandma's right, I am a teenager, and you need to let me have my own life instead of trying to micromanage it!”

 

Leia Organa looked very shocked at her son's outburst that she put her hand up to her mouth. “That's not true!”

 

“Rey wouldn't live long enough to have a child, Mom.” The boy's voice dropped to a whisper, “She's dying.”

 

“What? What did you just say?”

 

“I said she's dying. Rey is dying,” Ben stated, his energy gone. The anger disappeared. His body dropped down to the bed and flopped back onto the bed. “Rey is going to die.”

 

“What? How? Why weren't the teachers informed of this?!” Leia asked, her eyes going wide with surprise.

 

He shrugged, “I don't know, Mom. All I know is Rey has less than nine months to live. I've found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, and it'll never happen.”

 

“Ben, you can't bank forever on one person,” the older woman said. “If you do that then... Then you'll end up like me.”

 

“Mom, I've been single most of my life. Now I didn't know when I first saw Rey that I wanted her to be with me forever. I want to marry her, grow old together and make her happy. I can't. She's not going to be around that long.”

 

“What's wrong with her? What does she have?”

 

The boy spent a good hour explaining to his mother what Rey had and what was going to happen in the coming months. She sat in his chair looking rather horrified the news. Ben wanted to tell her that she felt nothing compared to what he did when he heard all of this.

 

Two days passed before he knew his mom had forgiven him. The morning dawned bright; Ben was sitting in his room on his bed when he heard the back door open, his mother speaking and then feet thundering up the stairs. Rose's glossy black hair (even her long bangs) was pulled away from her face into a ponytail and Ben was surprised to see she actually had eyes.

 

“Hi,” he said slowly. “What—”

 

“Rey's in the hospital,” she blurted out. “All I got from Mr. Andor is Rey is in D.C.; I figure we can take your car. Mine would die from the trip.”

 

“I can't leave, I'm grounded. I can't even be around you,” Ben said, looking surprised. “Besides, D.C. is like four hours away from here. Why would Mr. Andor tell you that?”

 

“Did you hear what I said, you fucking reject? Rey. Is. In. The. Hospital! She almost died a couple of nights ago. Get off your ass and come on! And you think you're grounded, ha! I'm probably going to die when I get back.”

 

The words hit him hard. Ben rushed to get his shoes on and ran down the stairs with Rose behind him. His mother was sitting at the kitchen table and his keys were on the wood surface. She was looking at him. “Please be careful and here is some gas money. It's all I can give you right now,” Leia said, placing a fifty dollar bill on top of his keys.

 

He hugged his mom then took the money and keys off the table. He would pay his mom back when he got back to town. He bolted out the door, Rose still following him. He practically vaulted himself into the driver seat of the Grand Am and revved the engine while his girlfriend's best friend was trying to sit in the passenger seat. He backed out of the driveway and made his way to the center of town and then went north.

 

It was only three hours and forty minutes later when they arrived in D.C. and thirty minutes later when they pulled into a hospital parking lot that Mr. Andor directed them to via text message.

 

It was a huge building and soon as Ben saw it, he began to panic. What if it was too late for Rey? Why would they take her to a hospital four hours away? “I don't like this, Rose.”

 

“Neither do I but my best friend is in there, and we have to make sure she's okay. Look, here comes Mr. Andor,” Rose said, nudging him in the ribs.

 

The man that approached them was Mr. Andor, but he looked so much older today than two days ago. He was paler than usual, and there were dark smudges under his eyes. He looked at Rose then Ben. Ben tried to hold his gaze but he couldn't; he was too embarrassed about what happened the other day.

 

It was a long moment before the man spoke. “Rey's in room 1-4-3-7. It's on the fourth floor. Jyn, her mother, won't be back until Friday. I'm sorry I have to leave but I've got a client and—” Mr. Andor seemed to fumble for words.

 

Rose came to the rescue, knowing what to say to the man. “We got this, Mr. Andor. We'll take care of Rey.”

 

He just nodded and handed Rose an envelope. He then started shuffling towards the parking garage then paused in front of Ben. Mr. Andor looked like he was going to say something to the boy, but instead, he just walked off.

 

“What was that about?” Rose asked as Ben, and she jogged towards the hospital entrance.

 

“I don't know,” Ben mumbled as they passed through the automatic doors. He should have gotten the balls together to say something to the older man.

 

“You don't know?”

 

“Yeah, I don't know.”

 

Rose gave a snort. “Don't believe you, Solo.”

 

The ride to the fourth floor in the elevator was silent, and they stopped at the nurses' desk to get direction to Rey's room. As they walked down the hall and then took a right, Ben saw the numbers getting closer to the one that they wanted. He wanted to bolt; just run from this place, but it had Rey in it. He was scared what he was going to find behind the door of 1437.

 

“I am thinking we should just burst in there and surprise her but her dad said not to get her too excited,” Rose mumbled as she stopped in front of a door. The small plastic plaque bolted on the wall next to the door said this was it.

 

“Why?”

 

“Ben, have you listened to anything I've said?”

 

“Not really. I've been distracted,” he replied. “Let's just go in.”

 

The door was pushed open just a fraction and the teenagers peeked in. His girlfriend wasn't dead and she wasn't hooked up to a bunch of machines. Rey was staring at the TV which was playing some movie. It looked to be violent because there was a gunfight going on. One of the characters was firing a handgun and when he ran out of ammo, he screamed then threw the gun into a cloud of dust.

 

“What movie is that?” Rose said as she casually walked into the room, smiling. Rey's head whipped around and gave a squeal of delight. The Asian girl moved over to the bed and leaned down to give Rey a hug. “I've got a small surprise for you.”

 

Ben had to grin as he leaned against the door frame. “Hey, baby.”

 

 


	20. Walked Away

Although her mother and Ms. Organa had assured her that she would never again see Ben, her father had pulled through for her. “You're actually here? I'm not hallucinating am I?”

 

“We're real,” Rose said, moving into the room. “And your dad had to work, so we're here to entertain you until Friday when we have to sneak out of here before your mom catches us.”

 

“So you two are going to stay here in the hospital? You know there are visiting hours and the food sucks. How are you going to get past that?” Rey watched Ben as he walked over to the hospital bed and sat down at the foot of it. She couldn't help feeling elated that her best friend was here. However, she wasn't so sure about Ben. Doubt began to creep into her mind. She was happy when she saw the boy, but his presence had her on edge.

 

Things had changed between them. Maybe the honeymoon period of their relationship was over, the reality was setting in, and now Ben didn't want a dying girlfriend. With that thought, panic started it's slow and deadly grip on her mind. Her breath caught in her throat as the feeling continued to rise, making her want to vomit.

  
The girl watched as Rose smiled and waved an envelope around. “Your dad was kind enough to give us some money to spend on things we all might need. Food, lodging, new toys and trinkets to amuse you with. Whoa, what's wrong, Rey?”

 

She just knew he was going to leave her. Rey knew deep down that he didn't want to be with her. He was just tagging along for the ride. Anxiety was creeping up in her chest, and she started to rock back and forth where she sat in the hospital bed.

 

In a couple of months, she'd be nothing but a comatose vegetable waiting for death to overtake her. She'd be dead. He'd be free to move on without her. He wouldn't be affected by her death. Ben would forget about her. The monitor that recorded her vital started jumping wildly.

  
“Rey, calm down. It's okay,” Ben said into her ear. When had he moved? The dark-haired male was sitting next to her now. His breath brushed her skin, sending shivers down her spine. His calm demeanor, helped her to tone her heart beat down. “There's nothing to get excited about. You're okay. Rey, c'mon. Look at me.”

  
Those deep brown eyes were intense as Rey gazed into them. She saw nothing but warmth and love. It scared her because she knew Ben was going to get hurt. Perhaps she should push him away and just die alone. Instead of doing that, she was wrapping her arms around his neck, melding her lips with his. From far away, she heard Rose say something and the door closing.

  
His lips burned a trail down her neck and back to her mouth. She felt his fingers tangle in her hair. This was urgent, she knew. This was residual feelings from Sunday when they were interrupted. Ben helped her sit up so that he could untie the ugly hospital gown she had on. It fell away, and Rey blushed, feeling shy all of a sudden and she gathered the gown to her chest. He leaned in and kissed her. It was soft and sweet.

  
“Don't cover up. Want you so much,” Ben whispered against her mouth. “You're beautiful Rey.”

  
“It's not that. I don't want you to see me in a hospital,” Rey replied quietly. It was the truth. She did not want Ben to see her like this. She didn't want him to have that painful reminder that her life was going to be cut short. Her mind was like a see-saw going back and forth; up and down with her thoughts.

 

She didn't want Ben to see the medical equipment. She didn't want him to see the ugly gowns. She didn't want him to see the doctors and nurses that would eventually become a permanent fixture in her life. Rey didn't want Ben to see her in the hospital because then it became real and maybe before her boyfriend only played pretend; they could gloss over the fact that she was terminally ill and dying.

 

If Ben saw her in the hospital, it became real, and there was no longer an excuse to use ignorance as a buffer. This was her reality though. She was going to deteriorate. She was going to lapse into a sleepless dream, never to live again. Rey was going to die right in front of everyone she ever loved and cared for.

 

This was her own personal hell. She was experiencing a nightmare.

 

He reached up and gently cupped her face, using his thumbs to brush her cheeks. It took her breath away. “Here, your house, my house, the woods, on a beach, I don't care where I am Rey except when I'm with you.”

 

Ben's head dipped into the hollow of her throat when Rose walked back into the room.

 

“Oh geez! What the hell? Can't you two get a room—Okay, the wrong choice of words. Can't you two wait until she's out of the hospital? Don't tell me that you two are going to be the type of couple once they've done it; they're going to be all over each other!”

 

“We haven't done it yet.”

 

”That's nice I don't want to hear about your sex—Wait, what did you say? Did you just say that you didn't have—”

 

”Nope,” Ben replied. “We're still virgins.”

 

“But I thought you were going over there this weekend too—”

 

“We got caught.”

 

“ _Oh, shit_.”

 

Rey nodded and tried to pull the hospital gown back into place, which she did with Ben's help. “That sentiment doesn't cover it. My mom had a screaming match with his mom, me, my dad,” she said as her friend took a seat at the end of the hospital bed.

 

“The only one that wasn't screaming was my dad, but he was handing out disappointed looks like they were candy. Apparently, my mom knows a lot about your mom, Ben. She knows your uncle, mom, and grandmother. She knows you don't have a dad.”

 

Rose looked over at Ben with raised eyebrows. “You're a bastard?”

 

“What? I'm not a bastard! I have a dad!” Ben said in a rather indignant tone. “He's just gone. He lives somewhere out in California. My mom doesn't talk about him a lot. I mean she talks about him but never in a good way.”

 

“That doesn't solve the puzzle here,” Rey stated. “How does my mom know them when we just moved here? I bet that thought didn't occur to you.”

 

It was true though. Rey had been thinking about the everything her mom had said about Ben's family. The Andors had moved here in April, and Jyn had spouted out stuff that made it seem like she had known Ben's mom for years.

 

“Didn't you say your mom's maiden name was Erso” Ben asked.

 

Rey nodded.

 

“You live at the old Erso estate,” Rose said.

 

This made Rey raise her eyebrows. Was it the same Ersos? Had her mother brought her back to her childhood town? Her mom wouldn't lie to her. On the other hand, she had told her that there was a Santa, Easter Bunny, a Tooth Fairy and that she'd grow old, so her mother could have lied to her about the town they lived in now.

 

A frown graced her face. Rey didn't know how she felt about the potential fact that her mom could have lied to her. Why would her mother lie to her? Why not just say, “I'm taking you back to my childhood town.”?

 

“Back up though; you two got caught? Does this have anything to do with the fact that my parents grounded me?” Rose asked. “Why are you in here Rey? What happened?”

 

“I was upset, to put it lightly after my mom finished yelling at me. I think I blacked out. I remember waking up in my bed. My dad and I talked. They went over to your house Rose and found out that I lied to them. I had turned my phone off and wasn't answering so they freaked out. They drove past Ben's house and found my car. When Mrs. Solo called them,” Rey trailed off not knowing how to finish the statement. “I thought about who was going to be affected by my death, and I guess I blacked out again. I woke up here. My dad told me I stopped breathing.”

 

This statement made Rose gasp, which Rey knew to expect that reaction. She looked over at Ben who was staring at the blanket that covered her legs. He said nothing but squeezed her hand slightly and smiled. It made Rey worry more. Ben appeared to be calm and holding himself together, but he had to be experiencing something with this news. Perhaps this would make Ben run for cover. Maybe this would make him see Rey wasn't the girl for him. She decided now was the time to tell him to find someone else.

 

Again, her brain was allowing the paranoia to filter through.

 

“You know Ben,” Rey said. “I wouldn't be mad. This isn't fair to you.”

 

“What are you talking about?” The boy looked up at the girl, very confused. There it was. It was the slight twitch of his eye and his mouth set in a hard line that gave him away. He was angry. This was the best course of action for Rey to take.

 

She sighed, “If you want to find another girlfriend or break up with me. I'm not going to get mad. I'm not going to ask you to stay with me. I want you to live a normal life. I can't ask you—“

 

Rey stopped speaking because Ben got off the bed and walked out of the room. His tall form stood up, posture slightly hunched over, and stomped out of the place without a word. She had permitted him to leave her life but, she didn't expect him to take it. Her eyes burned with nonexistent tears as the door clicked shut. The brunette turned towards the other girl and looked at her. “I just—I can't believe—I—I...”

 

Rose looked at the floor before looking back at Rey. Rey couldn't decipher the look in the girl's eyes. Perhaps, she was feeling emotional pain too. “I don't think he's going to do anything foolish, Rey. I think Ben just needs a minute to think about things. I know he better not leave me stranded in D.C. I will seriously get pissed and put my foot up his ass. He'd look pretty stupid dragging me along to football practice because I've buried it that deep.”

 

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that. “I don't want to hurt Ben, Rose. That's why I have to let him go. He needs to be a normal teenage boy.”

 

“Solo has never been normal, Rey. He pretty abnormal when you think about it. Compare him to the other people our age. And you. You are one of the most unique persons I've met, Rey. You and Solo are one of a kinds.”

 

Rey cocked her head and looked at her friend. How was Ben not ordinary? He was a dark hair, dark-eyed boy who played football and had vulgar friends. How was that not normal? Yeah, he fought her about sex, but perhaps he had some religious hangups. He had delivered papers like every other boy she had read about in books. He hung out with his friends. Ben was normal.

 

She wasn't normal. Rey wasn't typical because of her hair, appearance, attitude, life or situation. She was an oddity. She was a freak of nature. Science said so. No one in the history of the world had ever been affected by FFI at such a young age.

 

Once again, the panic and anxiety of not sleeping became apparent. Rey started rocking back and forth, trying to regain some control of her situation but nothing was helping. She just kept thinking the same things over and over until it became a mantra in her head.

 

Ben was going to leave her. Ben was going to find someone else. Ben was going to move on after her death. Ben deserved someone who was going to make him happy for a long time.

 

Not someone who couldn't sleep.

 

Not someone who he couldn't grow old with.

 

Not someone who was going to destroy people with her death.

 

Not someone who was going die in a couple of months.

 

A sob ripped through Rey, and she heard someone yelling. The next thing she knew was blackness. The blackness never hurt.

**Author's Note:**

> I love talking to people! Send words:  
> http://espada-iv.tumblr.com/


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